The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, has pledged government’s support to transform Ghana’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) through mobile telecommunication giant, MTN Ghana.
She said this during the 2025 International MSME Day celebration in Accra.
She described MSMEs as vital to Ghana’s inclusive growth, yet often hampered by informality, limited digital skills, and costly infrastructure.
She outlined government’s plans to improve access to affordable credit, expand digital skills training, and simplify business registration and certification through a dedicated Business Regulatory Reform Unit.
Key initiatives according to her, include developing a Women’s Bank, accelerating industrial parks, and revising the national MSME policy to better serve youth, women, and the informal sector.
The Minister set ambitious targets for 2027, such as onboarding 250,000 MSMEs onto digital platforms, reducing certification time and costs by 40%, and establishing at least three industrial and agro-ecological parks.
“These goals are ambitious, but ambition is what this moment demands,” she said, urging stakeholders to deliver measurable results that improve livelihoods and strengthen Ghana’s small business ecosystem.
MTN Ghana also reiterated its unwavering commitment to empowering MSMEs in the country, with a renewed focus on digital inclusion, access to tools, and gender-responsive support.
Speaking also at event, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Ghana, Angela Mensah-Poku, highlighted the company’s ongoing efforts to support small businesses to scale, compete globally, and drive inclusive economic growth.
She noted that approximately 70% of businesses in Ghana fall within the MSME category, underscoring the critical role they play in national development.
“MTN Business is committed to empowering MSMEs with tailored digital solutions.
We are not just supporting businesses in general—we’re being intentional, especially about women entrepreneurs,” she stated.
Citing that 25% of entrepreneurs across Africa are women, with Ghana among the countries with the highest female entrepreneurship rates, she announced the launch of MTN’s Ojumapa initiative.
The programme offers women-led businesses access to discounted services, business capability training, and exclusive networking opportunities to strengthen their competitiveness.
In April, MTN launched the SME Accelerate programme, which will run through December and beyond.
The initiative includes partnerships with financial institutions to ease access to credit and digital tools while integrating MSMEs into a broader ecosystem of support.
“We want to ensure that our entrepreneurs—especially the youth—are not left behind. The time is now. We believe the next big innovation will come from Africa, and more specifically, from Ghana,” she declared.
Angela Mensah-Poku also emphasized that MTN’s support extends beyond technology.
Through various arms of the company, including its sustainability and digital teams, MTN continues to run literacy and entrepreneurship training programs aimed at nurturing the next generation of innovators.
She called on young people and MSMEs to engage MTN, explore partnership opportunities, and take advantage of the tools available.
“We are not here just to extract. We are here to partner. MTN is committed to ensuring everyone has access to a digitally connected life,” she said.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), Margaret Ansei, stressed that her outfit is leading efforts to build a robust MSME ecosystem through affordable financing, reduced operational costs, digital and technical capacity-building, and support for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
A major highlight of the event was the launch of the MSME Gateway Portal in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The platform will serve as a one-stop digital hub providing entrepreneurs with access to vital resources, tools, and services.
“Digital and financial inclusion are no longer optional. They are now essential for MSMEs to remain competitive and resilient,” she added.
Madam Ansei also expressed appreciation to all stakeholders driving the MSME agenda, particularly President John Dramani Mahama, for his renewed focus on job creation, inclusive growth, and digital transformation.
She acknowledged the support of key development partners including UNDP, GIZ, UN Capital Development Fund, MTN Ghana, Stanbic Bank Ghana, the World Bank, UNIDO, and the MasterCard Foundation.
“As we celebrate MSME Day, let us reflect on how far we’ve come — and reaffirm our shared vision to go even further together,” she added.
