MTN Nigeria is rolling out a new data bundle tailor-made for micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that want access to free business capacity-building content but cannot afford the data required to do so.
The telco giant acknowledging the benefits of knowledge and information to growing businesses and the challenge for small businesses to access these knowledge resources at scale has partnered with reputable organisations that already provide free focused developmental content and solutions for small businesses. The partners currently include the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the foremost non-profit organisation, FATE Foundation, and Pan-Atlantic University’s Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), with more partners to join these names in due course.
The learning data plan works exclusively on websites of partner organisations, currently offering free capacity-building resources for MSMEs.
Speaking on the partnership, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Lynda Saint-Nwafor said “having understood the need for capacity building and the positive impact of continuous learning on MSMEs, we partnered with reputable learning providers to bring learning closer to MSMEs. With these new affordable plans, data access will no longer impede learning.” She also added that these partnerships are testaments to MTN’s commitment to delivering the benefits of a modern connected world to businesses.
The Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Wale Fasanya noted that “This initiative will boost access to learning resources on the SME Digital Academy for micro and small businesses and greatly improve their chances of thriving. The businesses will also receive certificates of completion endorsed by SMEDAN. He commended MTN and its technical partner Sapphital Learning, for making this available and pledged the commitment of SMEDAN towards educating, empowering, and elevating millions of MSMEs across the country.”
Also affirming the partnership, Adenike Adeyemi, the Executive Director, FATE Foundation, remarked that “This partnership will enable Nigerian entrepreneurs to have fast and easy access to essential resources on the msmehub.org with tools, templates, and resources to sustain their businesses”
Noting that the partnership was coming at the appropriate time, the Director, Pan-Atlantic University’s Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Dr Peter Bamkole, stated that “offering the EDC toolkit platform to SMEs will provide them with useful information, business resources and continuous learning opportunity to grow and succeed.”
Business owners can activate the learning bundle via USSD and SMS by dialling *460*600# or sending Learn to 131 respectively. The bundle subscription is available to all MTN prepaid subscribers.
