The MTN Nigeria has intensified efforts to promote women-led businesses through its Y’ellopreneur initiative, a programme designed to equip female entrepreneurs with skills, funding and growth opportunities.
The initiative, driven by the MTN Foundation, focuses on reducing female unemployment by supporting women to build sustainable and scalable enterprises across key sectors of the economy.
Since its launch in 2022, the programme has trained over 5,700 women in business and financial management, while 122 beneficiaries have accessed loans valued at more than N300m. The intervention combines enterprise training with access to finance, positioning participants for long-term business success.
Under the current phase, 1,000 female entrepreneurs are expected to receive practical training facilitated by the Enterprise Development Centre, where participants will gain hands-on knowledge in business planning, financial literacy and market expansion strategies.
To further strengthen access to funding, MTN has partnered with the Bank of Industry to establish a N1bn matching fund targeted at women-led businesses. Through this collaboration, about 200 entrepreneurs will access single-digit interest loans of up to N5m, a move aimed at addressing one of the biggest barriers faced by women in business—limited access to capital.
Industry observers note that the Y’ellopreneur initiative stands out for its structured approach, combining training, mentorship and financing, rather than offering one-off grants. This model ensures that beneficiaries are not only funded but also equipped with the knowledge required to sustain and scale their ventures.
Applications for the programme are currently open, with MTN urging interested women entrepreneurs to apply through its official portal, www.mtn.ng/yellopreneur.
Stakeholders say initiatives such as Y’ellopreneur are critical to economic growth, as empowering women entrepreneurs has a direct impact on job creation, household income and national development.
