By Stanley Senya
Accra, April 11, GNA – Ms. Margaret Ansei, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), has hailed MTN’s SME Accelerate Programme as a strategic game-changer for Ghana’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), describing it as a timely intervention that aligned with the national push for a 24-hour economy.
Speaking at the launch of the programme on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Ms. Ansei said the initiative resonated strongly with GEA’s mission to build a resilient, digitally empowered, and globally competitive MSME sector.
She said in today’s fast-evolving world, the future belonged to those who could embrace change, leverage technology, and drive smart solutions to sustain their businesses.
She outlined key initiatives GEA had rolled out to boost digital transformation in the MSME sector, including the SME Innovation and Inclusion Programme, Digitalize for Jobs (D4J), a collaboration with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the U-Spark Project under the UNIDO KAIZEN Expansion Initiative supported by the Government of Japan.
“These interventions are not just about access to finance, but they are about building an ecosystem of innovation where MSMEs from rural seamstresses to youth-led agro-processors can thrive in the digital age,” Ms. Ansei said.
Linking the programme to the broader national development agenda, Ms. Ansei said the MTN SME Accelerate Programme fits into former President John Dramani Mahama’s visionary policy of a 24-hour economy.
Ms. Ansei emphasized that, President Mahama’s 24-hour economy is not just about extending business hours but it’s about reimagining productivity, creating jobs, and building businesses that run around the clock, she added that, to do this, MSMEs need digital tools, infrastructure, and strategic partnerships like this with MTN.”
She praised MTN Ghana for going beyond telecommunications to become a “technology enabler” and urged Ghanaian entrepreneurs to take advantage of the platform to accelerate growth and reach global markets.
The MTN SME Accelerate Programme is expected to empower thousands of MSMEs across the country with digital tools, business support, and training aimed at improving productivity and market access.
GNA
CA/