Nigeria-based Heirs Energies has invested $10 million to support 2,000 African entrepreneurs, partnering with the Tony Elumelu Foundation to promote enterprise growth and job creation across the continent.
The initiative targets TEF’s 2026 cohort of 3,200 entrepreneurs, selected from over 265,000 applicants across all 54 African countries. The cohort was unveiled in Abuja on Sunday by TEF Founder and Chairman, Tony Elumelu.
Elumelu emphasized that empowering African entrepreneurs to build businesses and generate jobs is key to the continent’s economic transformation.
Heirs Energies said the investment is part of a broader strategy to link energy development with economic expansion, particularly in regions where access to capital, infrastructure, and opportunities remains limited.
Chief Executive Officer Osayande Igiehon explained, “Sustainable energy development must be matched by sustained investment in people and enterprise. Our partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation reflects a deliberate effort to expand opportunity while strengthening the communities in which we operate.”
Operating in OML 17 in the Niger Delta, Heirs Energies has already supported over 500 youths through skills acquisition and enterprise programs, granted educational support to more than 1,621 students, reached over 18,000 people through medical outreach initiatives, and completed 135 community infrastructure projects.
Beyond these interventions, the company supplies gas to Nigeria’s domestic network, enabling over 350MW of electricity generation to power homes, schools, and industries.
In 2025, Heirs Energies supported 1,000 entrepreneurs, with 40% from the Niger Delta, including more than 150 from Rivers State. In 2026, it is supporting another 1,000 entrepreneurs, with 50% from the Niger Delta, and women making up 48% of beneficiaries.
The company’s collaboration with TEF highlights its commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, promoting inclusive growth, and boosting economic participation across Africa.
Heirs Energies is an indigenous integrated energy company operating in Nigeria, focusing on oil and gas production and domestic gas supply for power generation, while combining energy delivery with targeted investments in community development and economic inclusion.