It’s no longer new that the long awaited list of winners of the 2016 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme award has been released. The list has no doubt brought joy to some and almost precisely 1,000 participants who were successful, and to a lot more, that’s about 44,000 it’s been a sad tale.
To all those who won, let’s say a very big congratulations and to those who weren’t successful, it’s better luck next time. The fact is that in every competition, there must be a winner and a loser, even though in this case, we didn’t have any losers. All the participants are indeed winners!
Even if you did not win, participating in the application process has made you to learn more about your business. You indeed now know more about your business, and most importantly, not being shortlisted should be a wakeup call for you to go back and properly examine your business based on the outlined criteria.
Meanwhile, the absence of your name from the TEEP 2016 list is not a death sentence. I have had a couple of people who tell me they’re giving up because TEEP 2016 has turned out unsuccessful for them. Well, I believe what makes a successful entrepreneur is one’s ability to face challenges and disappointments.
All the same, let’s note that there are other opportunities besides TEEP for us to get funding for our businesses. Let’s not allow our inability to make the list to wear us down. Our ideas could still transform Africa… like TEEP says.
Once again congratulations to all that made the list! You are on a high way to success as you get on the TEEP train.
[…] (TEEP) receives annually since the (temporary) discontinuation of the YOUWIN programme and the sadness and disillusionment that greets hundreds of thousands who are deemed not successful should be a clear and convincing […]