Forty-one entrepreneurs have graduated from the MTN Ghana and Absa Bank Ghana Mini MBA Programme after 13-weeks of intensive capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen the competitiveness and digital readiness of Ghanaian SMEs.

The first cohort spent time in both online and physical sessions with Nova Business School Africa, completing nine modules covering finance, leadership, marketing, packaging, digital integration, strategy, and innovation. Participants were required to complete assessments, assignments, and presentations, earning certificates awarded in partnership with NBS.

Speaking at the ceremony, Angela Mensah-Poku, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Ghana, commended the graduates for their commitment.

She noted that although many of the concepts taught were not entirely new to the participants, the programme helped them “crystallise the theory and the practical” in ways that strengthened their business acumen. She highlighted that all participants were already active MTN Ghana and Absa customers managing their own enterprises.

“The fact that they sacrificed their time every weekend shows the fortitude of our SMEs,” she said. “These are people who want to grow, scale, and digitise their businesses. MTN is committed to ensuring that no business, no customer, and no community is digitally disadvantaged, she added.

Madam Mensah-Poku added that the graduates would continue with post-programme coaching delivered by Nova Business School, reinforcing MTN’s long-term commitment to SME development rather than one-off interventions. She applauded the cohort for embracing learning at a stage in life many assume education is behind them.

Mohammed Abubakar Siddiq, Senior Manager for SME Sales at MTN Ghana, described the MTN–Absa partnership as a strategic extension of MTN’s SME Accelerate initiative, which had been rolled out throughout the year to provide education, exposure to market opportunities, and digital transformation support.

He explained that the Mini MBA formed part of MTN’s broader effort to build strategic capacity among SMEs particularly in areas such as business strategy, innovation, and the digital tools needed to thrive in a fast-changing environment. He added that the selection of participants was based on specific criteria jointly developed by MTN and Absa, with a focus on entrepreneurs who were performing strongly and showing readiness to apply advanced business training.

Mr Siddiq assured that plans were already underway to deliver an expanded and improved version of the programme next year.

One of the graduates, Emmanaenie N. Akwetey, CEO of Bomark Royal Company Limited, described the 13-week journey as “tremendously impactful,” noting that the entrepreneurship, digital integration, accounting, and tax modules particularly reshaped how she approaches her business.

“There were things we were doing our own way, but with the professionalism introduced through this training, my business is going to leap in bounds,” she said. She expressed gratitude to MTN and Absa “for counting me among their millions of customers” selected for the programme.

She encouraged other entrepreneurs specially women in business to sign up for future editions, saying the lessons delivered by Nova’s lecturers were practical, rigorous, and transformative.