How the Tony Elumelu Foundation Recognized My Content Vision
In 2018, something big happened.
Out of 151,000 applicants across Africa, I was selected by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) as one of that year’s entrepreneurs. That single email didn’t just change my business, it confirmed what I had long believed deep down: that content, strategy, and purpose-driven storytelling are powerful enough to be taken seriously, funded, and scaled.
At the time, I wasn’t just chasing capital, I was seeking direction. I had an idea rooted in local stories, visual impact, and the power of creative content to shift communities and mindsets. But I was struggling. Struggling to position it, to sell it, to scale it, and to keep it alive. My business was at risk. My confidence was being tested. And my vision needed structure.
Then I discovered TEF. I found the application, and instead of rushing it, I made a decision: I would take it seriously. For nearly five weeks, I worked on it rewriting, refining, reflecting. Every question forced me to clarify what I was building. I was no longer just describing what I did, I was articulating why it mattered. Through the process, I came to understand my model more clearly, define my audience more precisely, and reimagine the long-term value of my idea. That alone was worth the effort.
When the selection results came out, and I saw my name on the list, I felt both surprised and validated. I hadn’t just been chosen, I had been understood. I became a Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur, and from that moment, my mindset shifted.
The program gave me more than funding — it gave me transformation. The training curriculum was practical, intense, and highly relevant. It felt like a real-world MBA compressed into a few life-changing weeks. I learned how to price for value, how to package a service around my content vision, and how to think in systems not just in ideas. I understood what makes a message sell, how to turn creativity into consistency, and how to speak the language of clients, investors, and collaborators.
When the $5,000 seed capital arrived in my account in November 2018, I didn’t celebrate for long. I got to work. I reinvested it wisely in tools, in structure, and in polishing the delivery of my content ideas. That funding helped me do more than survive. It helped me reposition, rebuild, and prepare for the next level.
But even beyond the money, one of the greatest gifts TEF gave me was the network. I found myself surrounded by a Pan-African community of entrepreneurs who understood the journey — people who were building against the odds and still choosing to believe in possibility. We didn’t just share ideas — we built together, collaborated across borders, and kept growing.
I no longer run the business I applied with. That chapter closed. But the vision behind that application the belief in content as a transformational tool has only grown stronger. Today, as Ngoga Nowa, I coach professionals, write strategy, create content systems, and help 9 to 5 employees use their voice and experience to build something beyond survival. I teach people how to make more income and impact using the hours they still own.
And yes, the roots of that mission were planted during my TEF journey.
I didn’t win because I had everything figured out. I won because my idea was clear, needed, and valuable. That’s what content is: the courage to shape a message that others can stand on. I will always be proud to say: I am a Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur.
If you have an idea that’s driven by purpose, don’t wait for it to be perfect. Apply. Build. Believe. Someone out there is looking for exactly what you’ve been thinking about creating.