Senior Manager of SME Sales at MTN Ghana, Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq , said that the Greater Accra edition recorded strong participation, with about 150 participants engaging in the sessions and asking questions on issues affecting their businesses.

He said that the response demonstrated the growing interest among SMEs in acquiring practical knowledge and adopting digital tools to improve their operations.

According to him, SMEs that participated in the clinic would have access to opportunities in areas including finance, digitalisation and market access.

He said that Fidelity Bank was among the institutions that engaged participants on financing, while eligible SMEs could also access loans through MTN Mobile Money and, after building a repayment history, be referred to banks for larger financing arrangements.

On market access, Mr Sadiq highlighted MTN Yello Biz and MTN Webwiz, which enables businesses using the service to create websites and establish an online presence that could make them accessible to customers beyond Ghana.

He said that MTN was also promoting BusinessEye, a camera solution that allows SME owners to remotely monitor their businesses when they were away.

The solution, he said, could give business owners greater peace of mind, particularly those who are reluctant to leave their shops because of concerns about how their businesses are managed in their absence.

Mr Sadiq also highlighted AdwumaPa, MTN’s solution for women entrepreneurs, which provides affordable voice and data services and includes features such as access to a medical doctor and insurance cover.

He said that the support was important because women made up a significant proportion of Ghana’s SME community, adding that MTN wanted to help women protect and sustain their businesses in the event of challenges such as fire outbreaks.

The clinic also linked participants to further capacity-building opportunities.

Mr Sadiq disclosed that said selected SMEs would be placed in cohorts for a 13-week mini-MBA programme run with Nova Business School, after which participants would receive certification.

Participants in the business clinic also received certificates of participation at the close of the programme.

For some participants, the value of the clinic extended beyond the digital products and business lessons to the opportunity to network with other business owners.

Ramsey Apodei, Chief Executive Officer of Floramaria Services, a sanitation and construction services company, said that the clinic had provided an opportunity for business owners to build networks and understand developments in the business environment.

He said that the sessions were particularly useful because they were practical rather than purely theoretical.

He said he was returning to his business with plans to introduce stronger structures and systems based on what he had learnt.

As a sanitation company, he said that Floramaria Services was also interested in incorporating more environmentally friendly practices into its operations.

The Greater Accra clinic is the sixth SME Business Clinic organised by MTN Ghana this year, following programmes in the Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Western and Northern regions.

Ramsey Apodei, Chief Executive Officer of Floramaria Services receiving his certificate of participation

Some SMEs exhibiting their products at the clinic

Richard Maglo, Lead facilitator taking participants through a session