MTN Ghana has provided support for 10 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with cash prizes, digital business solutions and business development support under its 2026 SME Accelerate Programme to promote entrepreneurship and strengthen the growth of local businesses.
The overall winner of the MTN 2026 MSME Business Pitch, Tahir Field Recycling, emerged tops after impressing judges during the competition, which attracted hundreds of applicants before being narrowed to 10 finalists.
The first five finalists each received GH¢30,000, MTN’s YellowBiz business package, broadband connectivity, souvenirs and other digital tools to support their business expansion, while the remaining five finalists were each awarded GH¢2,000 together with broadband connectivity and business support packages.
Speaking after the event, the Senior Manager for SME Sales, Partnership and Business Broadband at MTN Ghana, Mohamed Abubakar Siddiq, said the competition formed part of the company’s year-long SME Accelerate Programme aimed at recognising and empowering businesses that continue to make significant contributions to Ghana’s economy.
“Business Pitch is an event that we have put together as part of our 2026 MTN SME Accelerate Programme to recognise SMEs and celebrate their contribution to the economy of Ghana through job creation and revenue generation,” he said.
He explained that although hundreds of SMEs applied to participate, only 10 businesses were selected to pitch their ideas before a panel of judges.
Mr Siddiq said MTN regarded SMEs as strategic partners because they remained key drivers of innovation, employment and economic growth.
“At one point MTN was also an SME. We identify with them and we see them as very strategic. For that matter, today we had this programme to celebrate them,” he stated.
Beyond the cash rewards, Mr Siddiq disclosed that the top five winners would be enrolled on a 13-week Mini MBA programme organised in partnership with Nova Business School to equip them with advanced business management skills and prepare them to compete globally.
“The first five are going to be selected for what we call our Mini MBA Programme. It is a 13-week intensive programme that allows them to learn the rudiments of business and how they can compete on the global field,” he explained.
He added that MTN would continue to monitor the progress of the beneficiaries through its sales teams and implementation partner, SME Ghana Awards (SMEGA), to ensure the financial support translated into business growth.
He said the company would also connect participating businesses to soft loan opportunities through the MTN MoMo platform to improve their access to finance.
Mr Siddiq explained that the business pitch competition was not a one-off event but part of MTN’s annual SME Accelerate initiative.
According to him, the maiden edition was held during the MTN Women’s Summit at Labadi Beach Hotel, followed by a second edition during AshantiFest in Kumasi, with the latest competition being the third this year.
He said MTN had invested substantially in supporting SMEs through the initiative, noting that the five winners alone received cash prizes worth GH¢150,000, excluding the value of the digital business solutions and other support packages provided
The participating SMEs thanked MTN for the support and promised to leverage on the opportunity to scale businesses into global brands in the future .
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Madam Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Mr Yaw Sakyi, Director of Administration at the Ministry, announced that government would introduce a dedicated financing support programme to help MSMEs develop bankable proposals and improve access to credit.
He said the initiative, to be implemented with the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) and partners, would equip entrepreneurs with the skills to prepare investment-ready proposals for financial institutions.
Mr Sakyi said between the third quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, the GEA and partners provided business development services to more than 306,000 MSMEs nationwide.
He said about 70 per cent of beneficiaries were women-led enterprises, while 95,000 youth-led businesses benefited from programmes such as the Business in a Box Project, the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project and the Harnessing Agriculture Productivity and Prosperity for Youth Project.
He added that 3,000 businesses received training in digital skills, e-commerce and artificial intelligence readiness, while 12,000 were supported to formalise their operations.
Additionally, 13,000 MSMEs accessed financing or were linked to financial institutions, while 6,000 benefited from market access and export readiness support across all 16 regions.
Mr Sakyi said access to affordable finance, technology adoption, standards compliance and market access remained major challenges for MSMEs.
To address export barriers, he said the Ministry was working with the Ghana Standards Authority and the Food and Drugs Authority to help businesses meet international quality and food safety standards.
He announced that a certification support programme would soon be introduced to assist MSMEs in obtaining requirements needed to access international markets.
Mrs Margaret Ansei, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency, said businesses must embrace digital transformation to remain competitive globally.
She announced the launch of the MSME Digital Gateway, developed in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), describing it as a one-stop platform offering business information, market intelligence and digital connectivity.
She said the platform also integrates the Ghana Entrepreneurship Policy Toolkit, developed with GIZ, to simplify regulatory processes and support enterprise growth.
Mr Niloy Banerjee, UNDP Resident Representative in Ghana, said MSMEs account for nearly 90 per cent of businesses and over 70% of private sector employment, making them central to Ghana’s economic development.
He said the Digital Gateway includes an e-commerce platform for business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions, as well as a digital identity system to help firms securely manage information.
Mr Banerjee said the initiative reflects strong collaboration between UNDP, GEA, GIZ and other partners to strengthen digital inclusion and expand market access for Ghanaian entrepreneurs.
