MTN Foundation expands push to back young entrepreneurs

MTN Ghana Foundation is stepping up efforts to tackle youth unemployment, one of the country’s most persistent economic challenges, through an expanded focus on entrepreneurship and skills development.

Professor Franklin Manu, chairman of the Foundation’s board, said the initiative aims to create sustainable livelihoods by equipping young people with practical skills, access to funding and business support.

Speaking at a Bright Conversations series, Prof. Manu said the Foundation’s economic empowerment pillar prioritises entrepreneurship, technology training and small enterprise development. “The goal is to move beyond short-term assistance and support long-term income generation,” he noted.

Central to this strategy is the Enterprise Support Programme, run in partnership with Innohub, which aims to support 500 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) over five years. Selected businesses receive training, technical assistance and seed funding, with a focus on youth, women and persons with disabilities.

The programme targets individuals often excluded from formal financing, particularly those unable to access bank loans due to a lack of collateral or guarantors.

Grassroots impact

For beneficiaries, the programme has provided both capital and a pathway to self-reliance.

Vozbeth Azumah, a farmer and fish processor, said he nearly overlooked the opportunity after encountering it on social media. “I saw the advert on Facebook and decided to take a chance,” he said. After completing the application process, he was selected and received GH¢20,000 in support.

The funding has enabled him to expand production, with plans to hire additional workers. “I plan to give back to society by employing more people,” he said.

A similar trajectory is evident in the case of Mary Dzigbordi Budu, who also discovered the programme online. After progressing through the selection stages, she received GH¢20,000, which she has used to scale her agribusiness operations. She now aims to create employment opportunities within her community.

For others, the programme has been transformative. Rejoice Nikabo, a person with a disability, previously relied on the street, begging for survival. After being introduced to the initiative, she applied and was selected.

With start-up capital and training, she now earns a living sewing dresses and bags. “I can now support myself and live with dignity,” she said, urging continued support for initiatives targeting vulnerable groups.

Scaling support

In 2023, the Foundation supported 140 MSMEs with a combined GH¢1m under the Enterprise Support Programme, with each recipient receiving up to GH¢10,000 alongside training.

A separate initiative in Ghana’s Central Region provided 50 businesses with grants of up to GH¢20,000, coupled with instruction in customer relations, financial management, branding and digital marketing.

Overall, the Foundation has invested more than GH¢106.5m across its three core pillars: economic empowerment, education and health, reaching millions of beneficiaries nationwide.

Structural challenges

Despite these gains, significant structural hurdles remain.

While Ghana’s overall unemployment rate declined to 13.6 per cent in 2024 from 14.6 per cent a year earlier, according to the Ghana Statistical Service, youth unemployment remains disproportionately high. Joblessness stands at roughly 32 per cent for those aged 15–24 and about 22.5 per cent for the 15–35 cohort.

Moreover, many employed young people remain in informal or insecure work, limiting income stability and long-term prospects.

Programmes such as MTN’s aim to address this gap by fostering more resilient small businesses. However, analysts note several constraints, including the need to extend outreach to remote areas, align training with market demand and ensure timely disbursement of adequate funding.

Post-programme support — including mentorship, access to markets and linkages with financial institutions — is also seen as critical to enabling businesses to scale beyond subsistence levels. Greater coordination with government-led apprenticeship and vocational training schemes could further enhance impact.

Outlook

With youth unemployment continuing to weigh on Ghana’s economic outlook, initiatives that combine funding with skills development are likely to play an increasingly important role.

If effectively scaled and integrated with broader policy efforts, the MTN Ghana Foundation’s enterprise programme could help expand job creation, strengthen small businesses and contribute to more inclusive economic growth.