Renowned entrepreneur and global business advocate, Dr. Summy Smart Francis, has announced a fully funded international business trip for selected entrepreneurs from Ondo State, Nigeria. The beneficiaries will attend the Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF), the world’s largest entrepreneurship event, scheduled to be held in Ghana from November 21 to 23, 2025.
This initiative represents a bold step toward uplifting emerging business leaders. Describing it as “an opportunity of a lifetime,” Dr. Francis aims to empower local entrepreneurs through exposure, impact, and elevation.
“I’m empowering some entrepreneurs in Ondo State with an opportunity of a lifetime: their first-ever international trip to attend a global event. This is about exposure to new ideas, access to global networks, and raising the bar of excellence,” said Dr. Francis.
The Global Entrepreneurship Festival serves as a flagship international event, convening thousands of entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, startup founders, ecosystem builders, and thought leaders from around the globe. It provides a platform for networking, learning, collaboration, and visibility for Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs.
Dr. Summy Smart Francis is the founder of Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (A.Y.E), the continent’s foremost entrepreneurship organization. He has also served as Special Adviser to the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and as Special Adviser to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Additionally, he chairs the Ondo State Entrepreneurship Agency (ONDEA), where he has been a pivotal force in promoting, educating, and empowering young entrepreneurs across the state and the African continent.
Through this latest initiative, Dr. Francis continues his legacy and entrepreneurial drive, championing entrepreneurship as a pathway to sustainable economic growth and youth transformation.
Interested entrepreneurs from Ondo State are encouraged to apply through the official link: www.summysmartfrancis.com/empowerment. The selection process promises to be transparent and competitive, focusing on entrepreneurs who demonstrate strong business potential, commitment to impact, and a hunger for global growth.
With this move, Dr. Summy Smart Francis reaffirms his belief in the power of strategic exposure to unlock greatness among African entrepreneurs.
