Important Notice: Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Programme.

This is to inform our stakeholders of the disqualification of 58 applications from the 2023 cohort of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Programme.  These disqualifications were made in accordance with section 7.5. of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme Terms and Conditions, and in this instance include:

1. Physical Verification failure: 27 applicants were disqualified as they did not pass the physical verification process conducted as part of our due diligence measures.

• Duplicate Application: 17 applicants submitted duplicate applications, resulting in their disqualification from the Programme.
• Impersonation of Pitch Videos and ID Card Mismatch: Three (3) applicants were disqualified for discrepancies between their pitch videos and ID card information, indicating potential impersonation.
• Businesses Aged Over 5 Years:  Nine applicants had businesses exceeding the five-year threshold, making them ineligible for the Programme.
• Previously Disqualified in 2022:  One applicant was disqualified as they had previously been disqualified from the Programme in the 2022 cycle.
• Received payment with the same Business Name in 2021: One applicant provided a business name that had previously benefitted from our Programme’s seed capital in the 2021 cycle, resulting in their disqualification from the 2023 cycle.

All disqualified applicants have been individually notified of their disqualification in detail.  The selection process for the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme is conducted with the utmost integrity and adherence to our governance policies.