D.I. Laary
Koforidua, May 21, GNA – MTN Business has intensified support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Eastern Region through digital transformation and capacity-building aimed at improving business sustainability, productivity and employment generation.
Mr Abubakari-Sidick Mohammed, Senior Manager of SME Sales at MTN Business, stated that SMEs remained central to Ghana’s socio-economic development, contributing significantly to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national employment.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the SME Business Clinic opening event on Wednesday in Koforidua, he said the initiative formed part of MTN’s broader “SME Accelerate” programme, designed to provide year-long support and visibility for SMEs across the country.
He said MTN Business had identified technological and operational gaps affecting SME growth and competitiveness, despite the sector’s resilience and economic contribution.
He added that the clinic was, therefore, designed to equip SME operators with practical skills in bookkeeping, packaging, labelling, branding and digital business management.
Mr Mohammed noted that many SMEs struggled to separate personal expenditure from business finances, affecting sustainability and growth.
“The business is an artificial human being, and you need to treat it as such. You should not deplete the capital you invested in the business,” he said.
Mr Mohammed said MTN Business had developed several digital solutions tailored for SMEs under its “YellowBiz” platform.
He explained that the platform provided internet connectivity, website creation services, customised business email domains and Microsoft 365 tools to improve operational efficiency and global visibility.
“Website visibility allows businesses outside Ghana to identify and engage SMEs operating here, while customised email domains increase credibility and professionalism,” he said.
He added that MTN Business had also introduced “Business Eye,” a digital monitoring solution that enabled business owners to remotely supervise operations and track activities in real time.
Mr Mohammed also said the company had introduced the “Adwumapa” package specifically for women entrepreneurs, offering affordable voice and data packages, insurance support and access to telemedicine services through “Doctor on Call.”
He further noted that women owned between 51 and 52 per cent of SMEs in Ghana, making targeted support for women-led enterprises essential.
Mr Mohammed described SMEs as strategic to Ghana’s economy, saying they contributed between 70 and 80 per cent of GDP and generated nearly 90 per cent of employment opportunities nationwide.
“For me, SMEs are a key solution to Ghana’s unemployment challenges because they employ far more people across the economy,” he said.
He added that MTN Business was organising the clinic in collaboration with SMEGA Africa to bring business development support closer to SME operators in the regions.
SMEs remain the backbone of Ghana’s economy, dominating the informal sector and contributing substantially to employment and local economic activity.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah