By Stanley Senya
Accra April 21, GNA – MTN Ghana Foundation has launched the Enterprise Support Programme geared towards boosting youth entrepreneurship and driving innovation across the country.
The initiative, launched in partnership with Innohub Foundation, is part of MTN’s legacy projects aimed at accelerating socio-economic growth through economic empowerment initiatives.
Through the partnership, MTN Enterprise Support Programme will support 500 small businesses operated by youth, students, women and persons with disabilities over a five-year period with training, business development support, technical assistance and seed funding.
Each year, 100 Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will be supported.
Selected businesses will go through incubation and training on practical business and ideas for implementation.
The Enterprise Support initiative will target businesses across the 16 regions of Ghana within the five-year period. However, the first year of the initiative will target business within the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Western regions.
Speaking at the launch, Robert Kuzoe, Senior Manager for Sustainability and Social Impact of MTN Ghana Foundation, underscored the need for such an initiative.
He said, “the aim of this program was to support young entrepreneurs with the requisite skills to help them sustain their businesses for the benefit of our communities and the country at large.”
“During our 25th anniversary celebrations, MTN announced an initiative to drive and support the growth of SMEs and enterprises. It is for this reason that we are committing over GHS1 million to the Enterprise Support Program to boost youth entrepreneurship and innovation, and reduce youth unemployment in the country,” he said.
Mr Nelson Amo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Innohub Foundation, expressed gratitude to MTN for the partnership, adding that the initiative would unlock growth opportunities for SMEs and accelerate youth entrepreneurship.
“The MTN Enterprise Support Programme will go down in history as one of Ghana’s most impactful private sector initiatives that will unlock access to finance for micro and small businesses and help them scale.”
He said the initiative would go a long way to create pathways for job creation, economic empowerment and build a more resilient economy.
Mr Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), commended MTN Foundation and Innohub for such a laudable initiative and called on other stakeholders to invest in such enterprise initiatives to help small scale businesses and minimise graduate and youth unemployment across the country.
The MTN Enterprise Support Programme will target businesses within the agribusiness value chain, fashion, food processing, cosmetic production, fish processing, renewable energy and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Interested SMEs in the listed regions are invited to to apply by the April 30, 2023 deadline.
GNA