From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The newly-appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor Nigeria, Tosin Faniro-Dada, has promised to create more jobs for Nigerians and mentor budding entrepreneurs in all facets of life in order to reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country.
Faniro-Dada, who recently took over from Eloho Omame, in her acceptance speech, noted that those who would be assisted will in turn empower others.
Before joining Endeavor, Tosin was Director, Programmes and Coordination, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) where she led the fund’s intervention programs; providing access to finance to MSMEs, facilitating training and job placements for young people, and supporting entrepreneurs in Lagos State, under the Lagos Innovates program.
She is bringing over 14 years of experience in finance, strategy & program management in the public and private sector.
According to a statement signed by the Senior Associate, Marketing and Communications, Joy Mabia, she said: ” LLike David Sarnoff, I firmly believe nobody can be successful unless he/she loves what they do.
“I am passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and helping them scale, not just for the immediate impact this has on their organization but more for the multiplier effect this confers on the larger society and economy.
“And I cannot think of any other organization that puts Entrepreneurs First, the way Endeavor does,” she said.
Meanwhile, the outgoing boss, Omame hinted that “Endeavor has screened more than 60,000 individuals and selected more than 2,000 founders leading over 1,200 scale-up companies.
“With support from Endeavor’s worldwide mentor network, Endeavor Entrepreneurs have created over 3 million jobs, generate more than $20 billion in revenue each year, and inspire future generations to innovate and take risks, building strong entrepreneurship ecosystems in growth markets. Headquartered in New York City, Endeavor.”
She added: “It has been my absolute honour and pleasure to steer the Endeavor Nigeria ship for the past three years. From a standing start, we’ve grown into an Entrepreneur-First organization that supports 17 Endeavor Entrepreneurs, who are impressive, high-impact founders leading 11 scale-up companies with operations in and outside Nigeria.
“Our local network also includes around 30 business leaders who embody Endeavor’s Pay It Forward value and support our efforts as active Endeavor Mentors.
“We’ve grown quickly to become a leading support organization for entrepreneurs in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, working with many strong local and international partners.
“The time has come for me to hand the wheel to Tosin, who is an excellent choice. I’m grateful to the Board of Endeavor Nigeria, under the leadership of Atedo N.A. Peterside, for their support and look forward to celebrating 10 years of Endeavor Nigeria’s continued success.”
