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It will be apt to conclude that Ogechukwu Elumelu is following her billionaire father, Tony Elumelu’s footsteps by building doors rather than talking about them. For many in her age, this season of life is about exploration —travel, career building, discovering passions, and making memories. For 24-year-old Oge, as she is fondly called, those same years have also become about something else: investing in the future of others.
Her early realisation was simple but deliberate. Investing in others is one of the most rewarding ways to drive both personal growth and lasting impact. That commitment came to life at the recently concluded ‘Africa & Everywhere Festival’ in Lagos, where a select group of young Nigerians spent a day engaging directly with employers, business leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals across different industries.
The event was more than a talk shop. It was designed to answer a question that confronts thousands of young Africans every year: How do I get access to opportunity?
Oge launched Africa & Everywhere: Conversations with Oge, a podcast that explores the journeys of African entrepreneurs, executives, innovators and changemakers in 2024. Through honest conversations, listeners hear practical insights on leadership, business, resilience and what it actually takes to build a career across the continent. But conversations, valuable as they are, can only go so far. The festival became the natural evolution of that idea —moving beyond inspiration to creating real-world access. Instead of only encouraging young people to dream bigger, it placed them in the same room as organisations capable of offering internships, mentorship, networking opportunities and career pathways. The sectors cut across finance, technology, healthcare, engineering, law, communications, energy and the creative economy.
The demand speaks for itself as more than 7,000 young Nigerians applied to attend the inaugural Careers Fair. After a rigorous selection process, about 170 participants were chosen. Behind those numbers is a reality familiar across Nigeria and much of Africa: young people are eager for jobs, guidance, exposure, mentorship and meaningful chances to prove themselves.
The Elumelu name has long been associated with entrepreneurship, innovation and expanding economic opportunities across Africa. The prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) graduate’s work complements that broader legacy while carving out its own identity. Rather than focusing primarily on enterprise funding, Oge is investing in something equally valuable: social capital.
