How Tony Elumelu Is “Ruling” Social Media

Extraordinary businessman, Anthony Onyemaechi Elumelu simply known as Tony Elumelu has turned social media into his space.

One of the most visible advocates of a better Nigerian and African economy is nurturing increasing social media followings and engagements with a cultured business goal-oriented lifestyle with dabs of fine living.

An approach that has given the 59yr old founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and chairman of the United Bank for Africa a huge connection with young people and potential future leaders.

That the birthday video of the shining light of commerce posted on his self-name Instagram handle on March 23, 2022 – his birth date is March 22 – garnered 141,162 likes and 6,277 comments tell how well he is doing for a ‘serious businessman” on the platform populated by the young.

The bank chairman who initiated Tony Elumelu Foundation’s $100million Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015 to create 10,000 entrepreneurs across Africa in 10 years follows just two accounts on Instagram, his wife Awele and friends, Femi Otedola.

But he has 867,000 followers with 640 posts- a major leap compared to how any of his “peers’ are faring

The posts are a diary of his business engagements, keep fits regimes, and – social life.

One of TIME Magazine’s 100 most Influential People of 2020 has, however, been very intentional in ensuring that his “social life” is family values themed while the keep fit regimes bare the reality of the rigors of maintaining his physique – but both do not overshadow posts about his essence as a master of commerce and advocate of a better Nigeria and Africa.

Videos and pictures from engagements such as “business series talk organised by @stanfordgsb”, “.discussing ‘Bridging the Diapsora to the Motherland”, “fireside chat hosted by the United States Institute of Peace and The Heritage Foundation, Special Assistant to the US President and Senior Director for Africa at the National Security Council, Dana Banks”, “Day 1 of the @heirsholdings Group Leadership Forum at @transcorphotelsplc with over 350 leaders across the Group was terrific”, “chat with @zainashercnn’s Exchange on @CNN ” and ” @heirsholdings with the Governor of Lagos State H.E @jidesanwoolu in attendance, had the ground breaking ceremony – flagging off the construction of Falomo Towers” with a feel of lifestyle to dream for, are more prominent on the Instagram page of the business mentor who started as a copier salesman after his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 1985.

5.585 likes and 89 comments are the lowest engagements – appreciable numbers in the context that it is widely used across media platforms and one of the very popular news at present -recorded on a post on the Instagram handle that has transformed into the source of news for new and traditional media with its rich contents.

The record was created on Monday, June 20, 2020, with the post on “ground breaking ceremony – flagging off the construction of Falomo Towers, a contemporary mixed-use development in Ikoyi, Lagos” with the picture of a dandy Elumelu, eyes closed, hands clasped in front of his face in seemingly joyous prayer.

The most recent post – with better reactions – is the “Happy birthday to my lovely wife” with a beautiful picture of Awele Elumelu, the Chief Executive Officer of Avon Medical Services Limited who oversees the healthcare investments of Heirs Holdings. The post made on June 23, 2022, got 21,960 likes and 1,266 comments including “Happy birthday to our very dear Sister…” from Dele Momodu, publisher of celebrity journal Ovation.

Though the influential Nigerian who got his first degree – BSc in Economics – from the Bendel State University (now Ambros Alli University) and Master of Science in the same discipline from the University of Lagos does not command the same presence on Facebook where he has 405,000 followers and follows only 10 accounts he has links to – UBA Group, The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Harvard Club of New York, Heirs Holdings, Afriland Properties, The Africapitalism Institute, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Clinton Global Initiative, UBA Foundation, and TEFConnect -a check through the posts on both platforms tells of cultivating ambitious young people and the engagements with his contents indicate galloping influence with them.

Though the media handlers of the man of vision who has dedicated himself to “unlock the obstacles that African entrepreneurs face” shy from officially commenting on the strategy that is redefining their principal from “hardcore businessman” to relatable aspiration of “Sucess begets pleasure”, informal chat confirms that the visioner behind Transcorp Group, the listed diversified conglomerate that just recorded significant growth across all metrics – gross earnings increased to N111.2 billion in 2021, from N75.3 billion in 2020 and profit before tax increased to N27.99 billion, from N1.6 billion – is intentionally living the way that will spark the fire and multiplier effect of one of his popular quotes “Young entrepreneurs and those they inspire are the lifeblood of Africa’s rise.”

Elumelu at 59 is redefining himself as a young entrepreneur to nudge the young entrepreneurs into imbibing yet another of his sayings “The future we all want for ourselves is one of our own making.”