JUST IN: SMEs woo investors at MTN exhibition

MTN Nigeria has held a trade fair for small and medium enterprises.

According to the firm, SMEs were also part of a Y’ello Den Pitch-A-Thon in partnership with the Bank of Industry, where they pitched their business expansion plans to qualify for financial and tech support from MTN.

The firm said the fair was part of its annual MTN employee volunteerism initiative 21 days of Y’ello Care. It stated the fair, which was attended by the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, had more than 50 local entrepreneurs in attendance.

In a statement, the First Lady, Sanwo-Olu, said “It is my pleasure to be here today for an initiative that I consider a solid example of sustained positive impact within our communities – MTN’s 21 days of Y’ello Care driven by MTN staff.

“I find it particularly gratifying that this year’s programme is shining a spotlight on SMEs. I applaud the Lagos State officials, MTN partners, SMEs, MTN board, management and staff, and all other stakeholders present here today for driving and facilitating this noble cause.”

The Chief Human Resources Officer, MTN Nigeria, Esther Akinnukawe, added, “This is the 16th year of our signature volunteer initiative designed to impact lives and communities around us.

“This year, we are ‘Empowering entrepreneurs to unlock growth and job creation for communities’ with a focus on leveraging skills, digital and financial tools to drive growth among entrepreneurs. In special focus are our women, youth, and people living with disabilities.

“We assure all our stakeholders that we remain unrelenting in our efforts to empower entrepreneurs and uplift communities in Lagos and across the country.”