Business
Tony Elumelu – visionary African entrepreneur turns 60
By Victor Oluwole
Earlier this week, March 22nd, Tony Elumelu celebrated his 60th birthday, and his life and career achievements are worth commemorating. Born in Nigeria in 1963, Elumelu’s entrepreneurship journey started early. He pursued his education, obtained a degree in economics, and later a Master of Science degree in Economics at the University of Lagos. Armed with his education and an unyielding spirit, Elumelu went on to become one of Africa’s most successful businessmen.
In an interview, he once said, “I started my career as a salesman, a copier salesman to be specific, young, hungry, and hardworking, but the reality was that I was just one of the thousands of young Nigerian graduates, all eager to succeed.”
Tony Elumelu’s career in the business world is marked by several notable achievements. In 1997, he led a small group of investors to take over a struggling Crystal Bank (later renamed Standard Trust Bank). Elumelu’s leadership and business acumen quickly turned the bank’s fortunes around, making it profitable within just a few years.
