No fewer than 8,000 entrepreneurs across the globe in the last 25 years, have received Ernst and Young Global Limited’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award, even as the company launched its West Africa chapter, with Nigeria and Ghana as focus.

Programme Director for Africa, Zanele Xaba, said: “We don’t want West Africa to be left behind, that is why we are here to start it in Nigeria and Ghana for the first time. In the future, three other contries in the West Africa nations will be included on the programme while the initiative will also be inaugurated in French-speaking countries in ECOWAS by 2012.”

According to her, although the programme had been running for 25 years in over 50 countries in 140 cities around the world, South Africa started running it 14 yeas ago, Mozambique in 2007, while nine other countries in Southern Africa and five countries in East Africa had also been inducted into the prestigious yearly award.

Xaba said, “It’s for this reason that for the first time the West African entrepreneurs are given a global stage in which to participate and be recognised.”

She noted that the category of award ranges from Master Entrepreneurs (for CEOs /firms who have been in operation for 10 years and generating $75 million turnover annually), Emerging Entrepreneurs to Life time Achievement Award and Social Entrepreneurs.

Speaking, Regional Managing Partner for Ernst &Young West Africa, Henry Egbiki, said, “we are now calling for nominations for our West Africa chapter of the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’, covering the countries of Nigeria and Ghana.