MTN Nigeria and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria have stepped up efforts to empower as many as five million small businesses through the mySMEville platform, a digital initiative aimed at bridging the estimated $158 billion annual financing gap facing Nigeria’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
The organisations revealed 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 they showcased the platform’s growth and impact on the MSME sector.
Led by INAPEM Chairman Bráulio Augusto, the Angolan delegation visited Nigeria to examine the success of the MTN-SMEDAN collaboration and explore opportunities to adopt a similar model to support small businesses in Angola.
According to the organisers, the platform is built around four core pillars, information, funding, infrastructure and market access—designed to strengthen Nigeria’s MSME sector.
The sector accounts for about 48 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product but continues to face significant challenges due to limited access to critical business support and financing opportunities.
The partners said the initiative has recorded significant growth since the signing of a memorandum of understanding in November 2025.
They explained that after onboarding 200 businesses during a pilot phase in Lagos in December 2025, the mySMEville platform expanded to more than 2,600 businesses across Nigeria by May 2026.
According to the partners, the rapid expansion is particularly important given that about 80 per cent of Nigerian SMEs operate within the informal sector, while only 3.9 per cent have access to formal credit facilities.
Speaking during the visit, Chief Enterprise Business Officer of MTN Nigeria, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, said the company is committed to leveraging technology and digital solutions to drive business growth and empower entrepreneurs across Africa.
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, showcased the capabilities of the mySMEville platform, describing it as a comprehensive digital hub that connects entrepreneurs with funding opportunities, solar energy solutions, e-commerce tools and critical business information.
According to the partners, the platform is designed as a one-stop solution for Nigeria’s estimated 40 million small businesses, bringing together a wide range of service providers and support partners to help enterprises access the resources needed for growth and sustainability.
Speaking on behalf of the Angolan delegation, INAPEM Chairman Bráulio Augusto said the visit highlighted the importance of collaboration between government institutions and private-sector operators.
He noted that the strength of the public-private partnership behind mySMEville demonstrated what is achievable, adding that the insights gained would be applied in adapting a similar model in Angola.
The partners also said they plan to scale the initiative further through the mySMEville Academy, expanded e-commerce integrations and policy advocacy programmes, with a target of reaching up to five million MSMEs across Nigeria.
