Photo News: Shade Okoya Honored Again In The UK

FEET 'N' TRICKS ANNOUNCES HOSTING OF FIRST EVER AFRICA FREESTYLE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Feet 'n' Tricks International in partnership with the World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) has announced hosting of debut Africa Freestyle Football Championship this year. The African Championship is coming on the heels of the successful Nigerian Freestyle Championship organized by Feet 'n' Tricks International in 2017.

Freestyle football is described by the WFFA as "the art and sport of juggling a football using all parts of the body to entertain audiences and outperform opponents... a fusion of tricks with a ball, dance and music."

Registration for this tournament is currently open to both male and female freestylers of African descent and will be closed on 15th of August, 2018. Registration will be done via the company's website.The qualifying rounds and Nigerian championship will hold on September 13th -14th, 2018 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos. After the qualifying rounds, the best 16 male and 8 female freestyle athletes in Africa will emerge to battle it out at the grand finale on September 15, 2018 in a bid to become the first African male and female Freestyle Football Champions.

The 2018 Africa Freestyle Football Championship is being planned as a perfect fusion of freestyle football and entertainment as top musical and dance artistes will be performing. The final event will also host international freestyle professionals; Guinness world record holder, Iya Traore and Female freestyler, Raquel Benetti from Brazil Prizes worth over $50,000 (Fifty Thousand Dollars) which includes a brand new salon car as well as qualification and sponsorship for the global championship will be won.Co-founder and Head of Partnerships for WFFA, Daniel Wood, expressed love for the energy and passion for freestyle football that can be found all over Africa, "We at the World Freestyle Football Association are so excited to see the best talents from all across Africa come together on one stage and compete for this title. Everyone will be competing for not only the prizes, but for some world ranking points too with the winner of course putting themselves in a fantastic position to challenge the world’s best. I look forward to seeing you all in September," he said.

"We are excited to pave a new direction for freestyle football in Africa" said Valentine Ozigbo, Chairman of Feet 'n' Tricks International. "We expect at least 20 African countries to be represented at this Championship as over half have already registered. We will work on the development of African freestyle talent and continually exploit all available resources to create more awareness for the sport and we are grateful to our sponsors and partners." He added.

Why we unveiled new showroom in Lagos

  

In its resolve to establish a strategic point of sale location that appeals to customers and provide easy access and better customer service for existing and prospective high net worth clients in Lagos, MB Automobile Services Limited - one of the authorized passenger cars dealers of Westar Associates Limited has unveiled a world class, state-of-the art showroom in Lagos.

The new showroom is strategically located at 37, Akin Adesola, Victoria Island. It boasts of convenient parking space, world class comfort for clients and visitors and an array of latest Mercedes-Benz vehicle models are also on display.

The new showroom is strategically located at 37, Akin Adesola, Victoria Island. It boasts of convenient parking space, world class comfort for clients and visitors and an array of latest Mercedes-Benz vehicle models are also on display

Speaking at the official unveiling of the showroom, His Excellency, Mr. Ingo Herbert, the General Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany to Nigeria, applauded MB Automobiles Services Limited for its unwavering commitment to keeping the Mercedes-Benz brand alive. “I am personally thrilled and excited with the unveiling of this showroom. This shows that the Mercedes-Benz brand is waxing stronger on a daily basis in the Nigerian auto market. This increase has been made possible by the uniformity of increased bilateral trades between Nigeria and Germany. This investment is no doubt a game changer for the Mercedes-Benz brand in Nigeria” he said.

Mr. Benson Uwatse, Managing Director of MB Automobiles Services Limited, hinted that the need to constantly innovate and bring satisfaction to the varied customers of the Mercedes-Benz brand in Nigeria engineered the decision to unveil this new showroom. He said: “This new showroom is specially designed to cater for all categories of our customers. Our customers are dear to us always. Our decision to give them the best of quality, comfort coupled with excellent service spurred us into the acquisition of this new complex”.

Mirko Plath, Managing Director, Westar Associates Nigeria Limited, highlighted that the opening of this showroom is indeed a milestone worth celebrating. He further buttressed that the company’s resolve to continually give the best to customers, propelled the sighting of the new showroom

Tony Elumelu Foundation Hosts Vibrant Session With Nearly 2,000 Entrepreneurs

French President Emmanuel Macron offered a bold and new vision of France’s relationship with Africa, speaking to Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs in Lagos today. He passionately advocated a new partnership, prioritizing the role of entrepreneurship in driving Africa’s renaissance, highlighting the importance of the private sector and urging the creation of a business ecosystem that leverages Africa’s vibrant private sector and most importantly saying Africa’s future was and should be in Africa’s hands.

Macron spoke at a vibrant, no-holds barred interactive session, in front of 2,000 alumni of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, who sought advice from the youthful President on how to grow their businesses, reach European markets, amidst rising nationalism and an emerging trade wars and the secrets of his political success. Macron’s experience of an outsider, who transformed French politics and spoke directly to and not at the audience, electrified the room.“To young African entrepreneurs: never listen to people who are telling you to wait,” he said. “If you believe in your projects: just do it. Our role is to help the new generation to seize opportunities and rise to the challenge. This is what underpins a new, balanced relationship.”

TEF Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings and United Bank for Africa, Tony O. Elumelu, CON moderated the event and opened by acknowledging the importance of the occasion for African entrepreneurship:

"The French President recognises the critical importance of African entrepreneurs to sustainable economic development on the continent – he knows the African narrative is changing and will change. His voice is refreshing and welcome” he said. “We want France and the rest of the world to realise that Africa is a continent of opportunities.”The two leaders stood side-by-side, surrounded by emerging and established business women and men from across Africa, during an exciting and at times charged session. Mr. Elumelu sought questions from the audience, while President Macron answered on a range of issues from African migration, to African to French and European markets, the role of Ecowas and regional integration.

Concluding the event, the Tony Elumelu Foundation signed an agreement with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the French development bank. The agreement established a research partnership to examine the entrepreneurship ecosystem in West Africa, with a special focus on francophone countries, a risk-sharing guarantee framework and access to high-level mentors for TEF entrepreneurs.

The young people in attendance included beneficiaries of various Foundation programmes, including the groundbreaking TEF Entrepreneurship Programme – the Founder’s $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs from across Africa over 10 years.

Mercedes-Benz posts new record of more than 1.18 million cars sold in first half-year

• Best half-year in the companies’ history: 1,188,832 cars sold (+3.9%)
• Strongest quarter of all time (594,528 units, +1.9%)
• More than 200,000 vehicles were delivered to customers worldwide in June alone (-2.6%)
• China continues as largest individual market with over 340,000 units sold since the beginning of the year (+16.2%)
• Mercedes-Benz defends its market leadership in major markets Germany and the USA in the first six months of the year in the premium segment
• Best half-year sales of all time for E-Class Saloon and Estate
• Restricted availability of GLE and GLS after fire at US supplier

Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz can look back on the strongest-selling quarter in the companies’ history. From April to June, 594,528 customers received their new Mercedes-Benz (+1.9%). Thus, Mercedes-Benz sold more vehicles than ever before in a half-year: Since the beginning of the year, 1,188,832 cars with the three-pointed star were delivered to customers all over the world. Unit sales were thus 3.9% higher than in the previous highest first half-year in 2017. In the first six months, Mercedes-Benz was the premium brand with the most new registrations in several markets, including Germany, France, Russia, Switzerland, Portugal, South Korea, Australia, the USA and Canada.

With 203,783 vehicles sold, June was the month with the second highest sales since the beginning of the year (-2.6%). Figures of last month were affected amongst other things by a fire at a US supplier. This meant a significant lower production of the SUVs for the world market at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa and sales were less than planned.
                                
“Thanks to an outstanding team performance, we can look back on the most successful half-year in the history of Mercedes-Benz: with more than 1.18 million cars sold in the first six months, we have laid a good foundation for a successful year 2018,” stated Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales. “The new A-Class has had a very successful reception from the markets and we will launch the new C-Class in July. These two volume models will make a significant contribution to the sales success of Mercedes-Benz in the second half of the year.”

Mercedes-Benz unit sales by region and market
In Europe, Mercedes-Benz sold 476,790 cars in the first half of the year (-1.5%), which is slightly less than in the previous, so far best, first half-year in 2017. Approximately one third of those cars were sold in Germany, where more than 150,000 customers were able to receive their new Mercedes-Benz (-0.2%). In France, Spain, Sweden, Poland and Denmark, more cars with the three-pointed star were sold than ever before in the first six months of a year.

Mercedes-Benz completed the first half of the year in the Asia-Pacific region with new best-ever sales, which increased by a double-digit 12.5% to 493,358 units. The biggest contribution to this growth came from China, where 340,164 cars with the three-pointed star were sold in the first six months, an increase of 16.2%. More cars of Mercedes-Benz than ever before in the first half-year were also sold in the markets of South Korea, Japan, India, Thailand and Malaysia.

In the NAFTA region, 191,249 Mercedes-Benz vehicles were handed over to customers in the period of January to June (-1.1%). Sales of 158,848 units in the USA were 1.9% below the very high prior-year figure. In Canada and Mexico, Mercedes-Benz set new sales records in the first six months of the year.
Mercedes-Benz unit sales by model
Sales of the S-Class Saloon increased by 27.5% to 43,106 units in the first half of the year. Growth in sales of the luxury model was particularly strong in the flagship’s biggest markets – China, the USA, South Korea and Germany. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Saloon set a new record in the first half of the year. Since its market launch, more than 30,000 units have now been handed over to customers.

The demand for the E-Class Saloon and Estate is higher than ever before. Since the beginning of the year, sales increased to the new record number of 182,135 units (+0.1%). The long-wheelbase version of the E-Class Saloon was especially popular in the first half-year; just like the long-wheelbase version of the C-Class Saloon, it posted very strong growth and a new sales record.

Despite restricted production of the GLE and GLS models last month, the SUVs from Mercedes-Benz achieved a new sales record in the first half of the year: a total of 422,645 units of the GLA, GLC, GLC Coupé, GLE, GLE Coupé, GLS and G-Class were delivered to customers worldwide (+9.8%). This was primarily due to the bestseller amongst the SUVs, the GLC.






Overview of sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars

	June 2018	Change in %	Jan. – June 2018	Change in %
Mercedes-Benz	203,783	-2.6	1,188,832	+3.9
Mercedes-Benz Cars	216,980	-2.2	1,254,492	+3.3
Mercedes-Benz unit sales in the region/market
Europe	82,813	-8.4	476,790	-1.5
- thereof Germany	25,632	-12.2	151,449	-0.2
Asia-Pacific	84,528	+7.4	493,358	+12.5
- thereof China	56,945	+13.7	340,164	+16.2
NAFTA	32,117	-8.0	191,249	-1.1
- thereof USA	26,191	-9.7	158,848	-1.9

Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart, Germany

Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart, Germany

Elumelu Pledges N500Million Exclusively To Delta State To Focused Entrepreneurship Programme

PLEDGE BRINGS ELUMELU’S INVESTMENT TO DATE IN NIGERIAN ENTREPRENEURS TO N4.4 BILLION

Today, during a courtesy visit to the Governor of his native Delta State, Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Founder and Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony O. Elumelu, CON pledged N500 million to create an entrepreneurship programme exclusive to indigenes of the state. He made the commitment after presenting 50 beneficiaries of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. 

“Your Excellency, on behalf of the Heirs Holdings Group, we will work with your office to put in place a new programme to support Delta State youth and I commit N500m to this purpose,” said Elumelu. “Indeed, hearing about your commitment to our youth and the impressive work you have done in the state, I am proud to call you my Governor and it makes me even more proud of my state.”

Governor Okowa in his speech, commended Mr. Elumelu for the work of his foundation, highlighting that TEF’s recent collaboration with French President Emmanuel Macron demonstrates the level of global recognition and stature that the Foundation has received:

“You didn’t restrict the impact of your Foundation to Delta, or even to Nigeria, you have empowered 4000 across Africa. What you are doing my brother is giving hope to others, who in turn will help to change the narrative of our country and continent and influence the people around them. You are changing the narrative of giving - not just handouts, but giving skills and mentoring. In the next ten years, the impact of the Tony Elumelu Foundation will be truly transformational - the multiplier effect will be huge. The whole country should support and think positively in this same direction.”

He continued: “I would also like to use this opportunity to encourage our brothers, sons, daughters and fathers that it would be heartwarming if we can make this kind of positive impact we’re seeing with the Tony Elumelu Foundation. It will help us reduce restiveness, and create employment so that as a country we have young people who are not just seekers of employment but creators of employment.”

A highlight of the event was the sharing of success stories between beneficiaries of the Foundation and the beneficiaries of the different wealth and entrepreneur development programmes of the Governor Okowa administration. One prominent Delta State indigene and alumni of the TEF Programme, Zion Oshiobugie, confided that:

“I was once someone’s houseboy, thinking of committing suicide when I lost my job. When I started my business, I was always asked for collateral, but Mr. Elumelu only asked for me an idea with transformative potential. Today, I run a school providing quality education for those who most need it. I am living proof that with money and training from the Tony Elumelu Foundation, dreams can come true.”

The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme is Tony Elumelu’s $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs from across Africa in 10 years. In its 4th year now, the Programme has empowered 50 entrepreneurs from Delta, 251 from the Niger Delta region and 1,862 Nigerians in all. Combined with this new Delta-focused N500 million commitment, Elumelu’s total investment in Nigerian entrepreneurs to N4.4 billion since 2015.

About The Tony Elumelu Foundation

Established in 2010, The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is the leading philanthropy in Africa championing entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs across the continent. The Foundation’s long-term investment in empowering African entrepreneurs is emblematic of Tony Elumelu’s philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions Africa’s private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the continent. The Foundation’s flagship initiative, the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, is a 10-year, $100 million commitment to identify, train mentor and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs, capable of changing the face of business across Africa. http://www.tonyelumelufoundation.org @tonyelumeluFDN

TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION HOSTS FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON IN AN INTERACTIVE SESSION

While in Lagos this week, H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic will engage with over 2,000 Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) alumni, together with other significant members of the African entrepreneurial ecosystem, in an open forum, that will guarantee a free and frank exchange of ideas and opinions. The Forum will allow the President to hear the voices and ambitions of a new generation of African businesswomen and men, who are changing the narrative and historic perceptions of Africa, brought together by the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s unique network.

The session will be hosted and moderated by TEF Founder and Heirs Holdings and UBA Chairman Tony O. Elumelu, CON and gives African entrepreneurs the platform to closely engage with President Macron, learn from his experience as one of the youngest Heads of State and someone who strongly champions entrepreneurship, while networking and forging partnerships with French and African business leaders and policymakers in attendance.Mr. Elumelu said about the event:

“President Macron’s recognition that African entrepreneurs are the key to Africa’s economic transformation and his desire to connect with and elevate the voices of future leaders is transformational. It is our privilege to host the President and it is a clear acknowledgement of our core belief that entrepreneurship is the catalyst for the social and economic development of Africa. How better to reach the most catalytic young minds in Africa than through TEF’s unique network of hundreds of thousands of Africa’s brightest young entrepreneurs?”

While in Nigeria, President Macron will meet with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and attend a business forum with French business leaders, a luncheon with the thirty Nigerian private sector leaders and a cultural event at Fela’s New Africa Shrine. The Tony Elumelu Foundation alumni attending the event are beneficiaries of a number of TEF programmes, including our groundbreaking TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, the $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs from across Africa over 10 years.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation is Africa’s largest and most impactful African-funded, Africa founded philanthropy, working to empower African entrepreneurs. The Foundation’s unique position allowed the French President to engage directly with the next generation of young business leaders and share his vision for relations between France and the African continent.

About The Tony Elumelu Foundation

Established in 2010, The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is the leading philanthropy in Africa championing entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs across the continent. The Foundation’s long-term investment in empowering African entrepreneurs is emblematic of Tony Elumelu’s philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions Africa’s private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the continent. The Foundation’s flagship initiative, the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, is a 10-year, $100 million commitment to identify, train mentor and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs, capable of changing the face of business across Africa.  http://www.tonyelumelufoundation.org