African investor, philanthropist, and founder of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, has revealed that he was 27 years old when he was made the branch manager of the defunct AllStates Trust Bank.
Elumelu stated this on Tuesday through his official LinkedIn page, as he posted side by side his recent picture and the one when he was a 27-year-old banker.
Elumelu noted that though AllStates Trust Bank was a young bank in Nigeria back then, banking in the country was beginning to change the country, adding that it was the sector to be in, ripe for transformation, ready for disruption, for democratisation.
“At that time, few believed a 27-year-old could successfully lead a bank branch. But that opportunity changed the entire course of my life. It gave me confidence. It gave me a platform. Most importantly, it gave me perspective,” he stated.
The then 27-year-old banker is now a pan-African business mogul and investor, the Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), chairman of Transcorp, and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), among other enviable business and leadership portfolios.
Reminiscing on the experience, the pan-African entrepreneur said that his journey did not begin with capital, but with trust, stressing the need to keep believing in Africa’s youth because, according to him, they are ready to lead, grow, and transform the continent.
He further stressed that that is why he is passionate about giving young people the same chance he was given, because he knows what is possible when someone believes in people early.
“This belief is at the heart of everything we do at The Tony Elumelu Foundation. It is why we invest in young African entrepreneurs — because someone once invested in me,” he added.
Early before the post, Elumelu made another titled ‘Brand power: Why every leader must be their chief marketing officer.’
The business mogul confessed that it takes years to build a trusted brand and seconds to kill it.
“When I speak with young entrepreneurs, I tell them that the power of brand is critical; it is the beginning of trust, the engine of loyalty, the foundation of that personal relationship between the consumer, the product, and the business.
He noted that branding is everyone’s responsibility, and not just for the marketing team. He further noted that building a successful business is not just about numbers or operations, but it is also about how an entrepreneur is perceived by their customers, employees, competitors, and the communities they serve.
Elumelu revealed that his belief in the power of entrepreneurship to transform lives led to the creation of TEF to empower thousands of African entrepreneurs. This he described as belief in action, adding that TEF is now one of the most trusted brands in Africa.
“I believe in long-term investment in Africa. So, when I advocate for Africapitalism, I can demonstrate how Heirs Holdings invests in strategic sectors like power, healthcare, and financial services, not just because they are profitable, but because they are catalytic,” he stated.
