Renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, has been named Man of the Year 2025 at the 7th Leadership Excellence Awards (LEEX), following an overwhelming show of public support.
Elumelu, founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), polled 1,093,475 votes to emerge winner, defeating other top contenders including Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, who garnered 634,855 votes, and business mogul A. A. Rano, who had 185,397 votes.
The annual awards, organised by Igbere TV and endorsed by the African Union and African Film Institute, recognise individuals whose leadership and impact have significantly contributed to national and continental development. Winners are determined through a two-stage process of public nominations and nationwide voting.
Elumelu’s recognition reflects his long-standing influence on Africa’s economic transformation through business leadership and philanthropy. Since its establishment in 2010, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered over 21,000 young African entrepreneurs with training, mentorship and seed funding, creating more than 1.5 million jobs and generating over $4.2 billion in revenue across 54 countries.
In 2015, Elumelu committed $100 million to the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, which continues to provide $5,000 seed capital to thousands of entrepreneurs annually. This year, the foundation announced its 2025 cohort of 3,000 entrepreneurs, reinforcing its role as Africa’s largest entrepreneurship support network through its digital hub, TEFConnect, with more than 1.5 million registered users.
The foundation has also made notable progress in advancing women’s economic empowerment, with 40 per cent of its beneficiaries being female entrepreneurs.
Elumelu joins a distinguished list of past LEEX honorees including Dr. Godwin Maduka, Obi Cubana, Peter Obi, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and Udom Emmanuel.
The 2025 awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Abuja on October 31.