MTN Nigeria’s Initiative Advocates Digital Tools For Business Visibility, Growth

MTN Nigeria, through its annual staff-led Yellow Care initiative, has called on Nigerians to embrace digital technology as a key strategy for personal and community development.

The 2025 edition, themed “Connecting at the Roots – Connecting Communities Through the Use of Digital Tools”,  focused on empowering underserved communities with resources and tools to thrive in the digital age.

Speaking during a community outreach event, senior manager of Customer Management in MTN’s Fixed Broadband Division, Gloria Egbele emphasised that visibility in today’s world is closely tied to digital presence.

The world is moving, and you also need to move with it. Anyone who is visible is who the world will recognise, Egbele said.

Now in its 18th year, Yellow Care is MTN’s 21-day staff volunteerism programme. Unlike the MTN Foundation, which handles corporate social responsibility, Yellow Care is completely funded and executed by MTN staff who contribute their time, money, and skills to uplift communities.

This initiative is being implemented simultaneously across more than 10 locations nationwide, including schools and markets. In each location, “We go into local communities with what the staff contributes from our own pockets. We identify those in need, from small business owners to students, and find ways to empower them digitally and economically,” Egbele added.

In this year’s outreach, practical tools were donated, tailored to the needs of local entrepreneurs as barbers received new clippers, fashion designers were given iron, restaurant owners were provided with gas cylinders and cooking pots, while mini-market sellers received tables and umbrellas. Others received MTN Wi-Fi routers and digital tools to improve their business operations and access to information.

“We want people to understand how going digital can improve not just their businesses, but their lifestyles. This is about making lives brighter—connecting people to their roots, to opportunities, and to the rest of the world,” Egbele said.

The Yellow Care campaign has grown into a hallmark of MTN’s employee engagement and social impact culture, with similar initiatives running in other MTN operating regions outside Nigeria.

The joy of giving back and the positive impact created has become a powerful motivation for staff volunteers. “Some of us, this is the only charity work we get to do in the year and it’s something we look forward to. The smiles on people’s faces keep us coming back year after year,” Egbele noted.

As MTN Nigeria continues its push to bridge the digital divide, Yellow Care stands as a testament to the power of grassroots efforts led by individuals who believe in transforming communities with one connection at a time.