MTN Ghana is broadening its support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with increased focus on helping businesses overcome access-to-finance, market and digitalisation challenges that limit their growth.
The company said it was moving beyond traditional telecommunications services to provide SMEs with a wider range of tools and opportunities, including business training, financing linkages, digital solutions and access to markets.
Senior Manager for SME Sales, Business Broadband and Partnerships at MTN Ghana, Mr Mohammed Abubakari-Sidick, said the approach was necessary because the growth of SMEs was closely linked to employment creation and the overall expansion of Ghana’s economy.
He made the remarks in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of an MTN SME Clinic in Accra.
The two-day clinic, which formed part of a series of SME-focused programmes organised by MTN, brought together about 150 entrepreneurs who engaged resource persons on practical challenges affecting their businesses.
Mr Abubakari-Sidick said the strong turnout reflected the growing appetite among entrepreneurs for practical knowledge and tools capable of moving their businesses beyond survival towards sustainable expansion.
He identified access to finance as one of the major constraints confronting SMEs and said MTN’s Mobile Money platform provided eligible businesses with opportunities to access loans for investment and subsequently build a record that could support further financing.
For SMEs requiring larger facilities, he said MTN was also linking them to financial institutions, including Fidelity Bank, which participated in the clinic to educate entrepreneurs on available financing options.
Digital platforms
Mr Abubakari-Sidick said market access was another area where MTN was seeking to make a difference through digitalisation.
He said the company’s digital business solutions enabled SMEs to establish an online presence, including websites, allowing them to reach customers outside their immediate locations and tap into opportunities in the wider digital marketplace.
He encouraged entrepreneurs to incorporate the knowledge and tools acquired from the clinic into their daily operations to improve productivity and expand their businesses.
“When they are able to incorporate these learnings as part of their operational activities, we are anticipating that we should be able to grow exponentially,” he said.
As part of its continued support, he said MTN was also implementing a Mini MBA programme with one of its partners for selected SMEs that had demonstrated strong business performance.
The beneficiaries would be grouped into cohorts and undergo about 13 weeks of training, mentorship and business development support, with successful participants receiving certification.
He said MTN was also preparing for its annual SME Awards scheduled for October 2026 to recognise outstanding businesses.
Focus on women entrepreneurs
Mr Abubakari-Sidick said MTN was paying particular attention to women-owned businesses because of the resilience they demonstrated despite facing additional barriers in accessing resources and expanding their operations.
He said the company had developed tailored solutions for female entrepreneurs, including affordable voice and data services to support their communication needs.
Another solution, he said, provided women entrepreneurs with access to medical advice remotely.
He said MTN’s broader objective was to build an ecosystem in which SMEs could access the finance, knowledge, technology and networks needed to become more competitive and sustainable.
“When these SMEs are strengthened and they grow, Ghana also grows. Our economy grows because they create employment for everybody within the country,” he said.
He added that MTN would continue collaborating with financial institutions, business development organisations and other stakeholders to provide more comprehensive support to the SME sector.
