Mobile Money FinTech Limited (MMFL), in partnership with Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), has provided financial literacy, customer service and digital skills training to members of the Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association (GHABA) to strengthen their businesses and improve access to financial services.

The capacity building programme, held at the Mensah Sabah Hall of the University of Ghana, formed part of the activities marking the seventh Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of GHABA.

The initiative, dubbed the wo Nk) So) capacity building programme, is aimed at equipping micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with practical knowledge to improve the management and growth of their businesses.

Speaking at the programme, the Senior Manager, Business Development at MMFL, Charles Osei Owusu, said the company was going beyond its traditional mobile money services to provide MSMEs with skills that could contribute to the sustainability of their businesses.

“We are empowering them with a capacity training programme, which focuses on customer service experience, financial literacy, digital tools, and of course, to help them be able to also access some facilities through the mobile money channel,” he said.

He said the programme was the third and final phase of a series of financial literacy clinics organised by MMFL, with the earlier sessions held in Kumasi and Takoradi.

Mr Osei Owusu said the first programme targeted members of the Ghana Tailors and Dressmakers Association, while market women were also engaged under the initiative before the current focus on hairdressers and beauticians.

He said the company would not end its engagement with the beneficiaries after the training, explaining that MMFL had taken their details to enable it to monitor their businesses and continue interacting with them.

“We don’t expect that we leave here and then just leave them to chance. We will continue to engage them as we’ve taken their details. We will continue to monitor and interact with them. Hopefully, it shouldn’t end here,” he said.

Mr Osei Owusu said MSMEs remained an important backbone of the economy, stressing that growth in the sector would contribute to broader economic growth.

He said MMFL would continue to identify and train more MSMEs as part of efforts to strengthen their capacity and improve their access to financial services.

The Head of Corporate Communications at UMB, Madam Edem Knight-Tay, said the bank was proud to be associated with the programme, particularly its focus on building the capacity of small businesses.

She said initiatives that equipped MSMEs with relevant skills were important to helping them improve the way they managed and grew their enterprises.

Kola Market also supported the programme by providing training on digital services to the participants.

The President of GHABA, Tina Offei, expressed appreciation to MMFL for its continued support towards the success of the programme.

“We are so proud to be in partnership to build the needed capacity to help build the nation,” she said.

The training covered financial literacy, customer service, digital tools and financial services, with participants expected to apply the knowledge gained to improve the efficiency and sustainability of their businesses.

By DANIEL NONOR, Accra