Accra, Aug. 28, GNA – Innohub Foundation, a business accelerator and impact investment platform, will from Monday, September 4, 2023, commence training of 68 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) under the MTN Ghana Foundation’s Economic Empowerment Programme.
In the next months, the 68 MSMEs from the Greater Accra region, who make up the first batch of 140 selected businesses across three regions for the first year of the five-year programme, will undergo technical training on business management, market expansion, and profit growth.
The beneficiaries will also receive up to GHS10,000 financial assistance to expand their operations.
The MTN Ghana Foundation in partnership with Innohub Foundation launched the initiative in March this year to support MSMEs owned by Women, Youth, and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) to grow their business and create employment opportunities. The programme has targeted 500 beneficiaries in the next five years.
Speaking at a ceremony in Accra to announce the first batch of beneficiaries, Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, MTN Ghana, said a total of 140 SMEs were selected as beneficiaries for the first year.
She said the programme would offer financial assistance, training, and technical support to the selected MSMEs to grow their businesses and make positive impact in their respective communities.
This Programme is under the pillar of economic empowerment of the Foundation. We want to be able to empower people to grow businesses.
Nelson Amo, Executive Director of Innohub Foundation, expressed gratitude to MTN for the programme, adding that the initiative would unlock growth opportunities for SMEs and accelerate youth entrepreneurship.
He said about 5,000 jobs could be created at the end of the programme.
“I believe this Programme is creating business growth and shared prosperity. If at least 500 businesses are supported and five jobs are created by each of the 500 businesses, 5,000 jobs can be created to feed themselves and their families,” he said.
The MTN Economic Empowerment Programme targets businesses within the agribusiness value chain, fashion, food processing, cosmetic production, fish processing, renewable energy and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
GNA