MTN, SMEDAN target 5m MSMEs with digital platform

MTN Nigeria and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria have intensified efforts to support up to five million small businesses through the mySMEville platform, a digital initiative designed to address a $158bn annual financing gap affecting Nigeria’s micro, small and medium enterprises.

The partners disclosed this during a visit by a delegation from Angola’s National Institute of Support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to MTN Nigeria’s headquarters, where officials highlighted the impact and growth of the platform.

The delegation, led by INAPEM Chairman Bráulio Augusto, visited Nigeria to study the success of the MTN-SMEDAN partnership and explore ways of replicating the model in Angola.

According to the organisers, the platform focuses on four key areas: information, funding, infrastructure and markets, to support Nigeria’s MSME sector, which contributes about 48 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product but remains largely underserved.

The partners stated that the initiative has expanded rapidly since the signing of a memorandum of understanding in November 2025. They noted that after onboarding 200 businesses during a pilot phase in Lagos in December 2025, the platform grew to more than 2,600 businesses nationwide by May 2026.

They added that the growth comes as about 80 per cent of Nigerian SMEs operate in the informal sector, while only 3.9 per cent have access to formal credit.

Chief Enterprise Business Officer of MTN Nigeria, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, said the telecommunications company aims to leverage technology to support business growth across the continent.

Saint-Nwafor said, “Our goal is simple; we want to be the best technology partner out there, helping African businesses grow fast, compete globally, and make a real, lasting impact.”

Director-General of SMEDAN, Dr Charles Odii, described the initiative as a model for economic transformation through collaboration between the public and private sectors, saying, “What we are witnessing here is a formidable force for economic progress. Through this deliberate Public-Private Partnership, Nigeria is aligning its public and private sectors to lead the way for Africa.”

Senior Specialist, ICT Segment Management at MTN Business, Olatunbosun Agosu, demonstrated the platform’s capabilities, describing mySMEville as a central hub connecting entrepreneurs with funding opportunities, solar energy solutions, e-commerce tools and business information.

The platform, according to the partners, serves as a one-stop solution for Nigeria’s estimated 40 million small businesses by bringing together multiple service providers and support partners.

Speaking on behalf of the Angolan delegation, Augusto said the visit underscored the importance of collaboration between government institutions and private-sector operators: “The key thing I learned here is the strength of the public and private sector partnership. mySMEville clearly shows what’s possible, and we will absolutely use these insights as we adapt this model back home in Angola.”

The partners said they plan to expand the initiative further through the mySMEville Academy, e-commerce integrations and policy advocacy programmes, with a target of reaching five million MSMEs across Nigeria.