MTN-SMEDAN Partnership Targets Nigeria’s $158bn Financing Gap

Nigeria’s widening MSME financing shortfall has come into sharper focus as MTN Nigeria and SMEDAN intensify efforts to bridge the country’s estimated $158 billion annual funding gap through the mySMEville platform.

The initiative, which has onboarded more than 2,600 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) nationwide as of May 2026, is providing businesses with improved access to funding, infrastructure, markets, and digital skills.

The platform has expanded rapidly from an initial 200-business pilot launched in December 2025, positioning itself as a growing support ecosystem for Nigeria’s nearly 40 million MSMEs, a sector that contributes about 48 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The impact of the partnership attracted international attention recently during a visit by a delegation from Angola’s National Institute of Support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (INAPEM), led by its chairman, Mr Bráulio Augusto, on May 12, 2026.

The visit was aimed at understudying the success of the MTN-SMEDAN collaboration and exploring ways similar models could be adapted within Angola’s economy.

Built around four strategic pillars — information, funding, infrastructure, and markets — mySMEville is designed to address critical barriers limiting the growth potential of small businesses across Nigeria.

Since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MTN and SMEDAN in November 2025, the initiative has moved swiftly from concept to implementation, delivering digital solutions to improve financial inclusion and enterprise growth.

Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Nigeria, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, said the company remains committed to supporting African enterprises through scalable technology-driven solutions.

According to her, “At MTN Business, our ambition is clear: to be the leading technology partner enabling Africa’s enterprises to scale, compete, and create sustainable impact.

“We are focused on developing platforms that matter, solutions that scale, and ecosystems that drive inclusive economic growth across the continent.”

Director-General of SMEDAN, Dr Charles Odii, described the initiative as a major step toward strengthening Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through strategic public-private collaboration.

He said, “What we are witnessing here is a powerful force for economic progress. Through this strategic Public-Private Partnership, Nigeria is uniting its public and private sectors to pave the way for leadership in Africa.”

During the engagement, Senior Specialist, ICT Segment Management at MTN Business, Olatunbosun Agosu, demonstrated how the mySMEville platform serves as a one-stop hub connecting entrepreneurs to financing opportunities, solar-powered infrastructure solutions, e-commerce tools, and business development resources.

Speaking after the visit, INAPEM Chairman, Bráulio Augusto, said Angola would leverage lessons from the Nigerian experience to strengthen its own MSME support framework.

“The key takeaway for me is the strength of the partnership between the public and private sectors. mySMEville clearly illustrates what is achievable, and we will certainly leverage these insights to adapt this model back home in Angola,” he said.