MTN Foundation Kicks Off ICT Business Skills Training for 6,000 Young Nigerians

In line with the Federal Government’s National Digital Economy and SME Development agenda, MTN Foundation commenced the seventh phase of its ICT business skills onboarding for 6,000 microbusiness owners drawn largely from Nigeria’s growing small and medium-scale enterprise (SME) sector. The virtual training programme started on Monday, January 5, 2026, and is ongoing. The programme is designed to help aspiring microbusiness owners move from paper-based ways of working to simple digital tools that improve productivity and efficiency.

The session was presented by Babajide Jolaolu-Kehinde, a business analyst and moderated by Temiloluwa Oyekanmi, programme and partnerships lead. He introduced the SWOT framework – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – to help participants assess their businesses and prioritise areas for improvement.

Babajide emphasised the importance of keeping records digitally, adopting online payment options and tracking customer data to enable measurable growth, noting that these practices align with broader government efforts to formalise and scale SMEs across Nigeria. The message was plain: hope is good, but action and systems make growth happen.

Trainers demonstrated how traders who previously relied on handwritten records expanded their customer base by adopting digital tools such as WhatsApp, online marketplaces and basic spreadsheets. Other examples included accepting mobile transfers instead of cash and using digital order channels to reach customers beyond their immediate locations.

A key focus of the discussion was the limitation of manual operations, with trainers noting that paper-based records restrict visibility into sales performance and customer behaviour. Digital tools, they explained, provide real-time data, reduce errors and open access to wider markets beyond local communities.

At the end of the onboarding, participants were encouraged to adopt at least one digital improvement, while organisers confirmed plans for follow-up workshops and mentorship to support sustained SME growth and contribute to Nigeria’s long-term economic development goals. The training is expected to continue for another 4 weeks.