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MTN Nigeria and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) are deepening their collaboration to tackle Nigeria’s estimated $158 billion annual MSME financing gap through the rapidly expanding mySMEville digital platform.
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Launched as a strategic public–private partnership, mySMEville is designed to formalise, finance, and scale Nigeria’s nearly 40 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)—a sector that contributes about 48% of national GDP but remains largely excluded from formal credit.
Addressing Nigeria’s MSME Credit Crunch
Despite their economic importance, nearly 80% of Nigerian MSMEs operate informally, while only 3.9% have access to formal credit channels. The mySMEville platform directly targets these structural gaps by providing a unified digital ecosystem that connects small businesses to funding, infrastructure, markets, and capacity-building tools.
Since its pilot launch in December 2025 with just 200 businesses, the platform has scaled rapidly, onboarding over 2,600 MSMEs nationwide as of May 2026.
Four Strategic Pillars Powering mySMEville
Built around four core pillars, mySMEville is engineered to remove long-standing barriers to MSME growth:
- Information – Business intelligence, regulatory guidance, and advisory resources.
- Funding – Access to financing opportunities and financial inclusion tools.
- Infrastructure – Digital and solar-powered solutions to support operations.
- Markets – E-commerce tools and market access to drive revenue growth.
Together, these pillars position mySMEville as a one-stop digital hub for enterprise development.
From MoU to Measurable Impact
Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between MTN Nigeria and SMEDAN in November 2025, the initiative has moved swiftly from concept to execution. The platform now delivers targeted digital solutions aimed at enterprise growth, productivity, and financial inclusion.
The impact has attracted international attention, most recently during a study visit by Angola’s National Institute of Support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises delegation led by Bráulio Augusto on May 12, 2026. The delegation explored how the MTN–SMEDAN model could be adapted to support MSMEs in Angola.
MTN: Scaling Technology for Enterprise Growth
Speaking on the initiative, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Nigeria, reaffirmed the company’s enterprise-first strategy.
“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 building platforms that matter and ecosystems that drive inclusive economic growth across the continent.”
SMEDAN: Public–Private Collaboration as a Growth Engine
For SMEDAN, the initiative represents a new model for enterprise development. Charles Odii, Director-General of the agency, described mySMEville as a blueprint for Africa.
“What we are witnessing 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.”
A Model with Continental Relevance
During the engagement, Olatunbosun Agosu, Senior Specialist, ICT Segment Management at MTN Business, demonstrated how mySMEville integrates financing, solar infrastructure, e-commerce, and business development resources into a single digital platform.
Reacting after the visit, INAPEM Chairman Bráulio Augusto said Angola would draw lessons from Nigeria’s experience.
“The key takeaway is the strength of the public–private partnership. mySMEville clearly shows what is achievable, and we will adapt these insights back home in Angola.”
Building a Scalable Blueprint for MSME Growth
As Nigeria searches for sustainable ways to unlock MSME productivity and close its vast financing gap, mySMEville is emerging as a scalable, tech-driven blueprint.
By combining government policy support with private-sector infrastructure and innovation, the MTN–SMEDAN partnership is positioning Nigeria’s small businesses for growth—at home and as a reference point for Africa.
