MTN Ghana reinforced commitment to digital inclusion for persons with disabilities through a comprehensive training program in Tamale, targeting 200 entrepreneurs with disabilities as part of its five-year Enterprise Support Programme.
The two-day intensive training forms part of a five-year project that annually supports 100 entrepreneurs, 50 of them persons with disabilities, with training, mentorship, and funding opportunities. The initiative represents MTN’s collaboration with InnoHub, Fidelity Bank, GIZ, and the Department of Labour.
MTN’s Enterprise Business Manager Adwoa Ackonor emphasized that the programme reflects the company’s “Ambition 2025” strategy, which focuses on enabling communities, driving digital inclusion, and supporting small and medium enterprises. The telecommunications giant views the training as essential for unlocking economic opportunities for marginalized communities.
Ackonor outlined comprehensive post-programme support including continuous mentorship, capacity building, and linkages to financial institutions and development partners. The strategy aims to ensure participants receive resources, networks, and support necessary to sustain and scale their businesses beyond initial training phases.
The initiative, delivered in partnership with Innohub and co-funded by Fidelity Bank, sought to equip PWDs with the skills and resources needed to build sustainable enterprises in the Tamale Metropolis. Participants gained access to entrepreneurial and digital skills designed to improve livelihoods and enable full economic participation.
MTN positioned its services including voice, data, mobile money, and enterprise solutions as integral tools for helping small businesses reach customers, manage payments, and operate efficiently. The company emphasized how persons with disabilities can leverage these technologies to access broader business ecosystems and partnerships.
Under the 5-year project, MTN has partnered with Innohub Foundation offering training to women, youth and Persons With Disabilities who own micro, small, and medium enterprises in business development, financial management and social media. The program demonstrates MTN’s broader commitment to economic empowerment across vulnerable populations.
InnoHub’s Corporate Communication and Marketing Lead David Amoa highlighted the untapped entrepreneurial potential among persons with disabilities. He emphasized that this demographic represents significant economic value that has remained latent, particularly in northern Ghana where access to opportunities remains limited.
The training aligns with MTN’s “Empower All Initiative,” an economic empowerment program specifically targeting women, youth, and persons with disabilities. This corporate social responsibility effort provides comprehensive support including training, grants, and market access to help beneficiaries launch or expand their businesses.
Previous MTN Foundation programs have demonstrated success, with the organization empowering 50 small businesses in Central Region, selecting beneficiaries through competitive pitch sessions and providing ongoing financial and business development support. These precedents validate the approach being implemented in northern Ghana.
Ghana’s estimated 3 million persons with disabilities face significant barriers to economic participation, including limited access to financial services, training opportunities, and market networks. MTN’s initiative addresses these systemic challenges through targeted interventions designed to build sustainable economic foundations.
The collaboration between MTN, InnoHub, Fidelity Bank, GIZ, and government agencies demonstrates private-public partnership approaches to inclusive development. This coordinated effort leverages each organization’s expertise to maximize impact while ensuring comprehensive support for participants.
Digital inclusion remains central to MTN’s strategy, recognizing that persons with disabilities often face additional barriers to accessing technology and digital financial services. The training specifically addresses these gaps while building capacity for participants to leverage digital tools for business growth.
The Northern Region focus reflects MTN’s recognition of geographic disparities in access to business development opportunities. Rural and northern communities typically have limited access to entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and funding compared to urban centers in southern Ghana.
Program sustainability depends on continued partnership between participating organizations and ongoing monitoring of beneficiary progress. Success metrics include business growth, employment creation, and improved livelihoods among persons with disabilities who complete the training and receive ongoing support.
The initiative forms part of broader national efforts to address inequity in access to opportunities and ensure persons with disabilities participate meaningfully in Ghana’s economic development. Government policies increasingly emphasize inclusive growth that leaves no population behind.
