Lagos: Women account for 43.7 per cent of the beneficiaries of MTN Foundation’s initiatives, as disclosed by the Foundation’s Executive Director, Dr. Odunayo Sanya. This was highlighted during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MTN Foundation and UN Women, aimed at promoting gender inclusion through various interventions.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the MoU focuses on an initiative designed to enhance the economic participation and productivity of rural women. The partnership aims to empower 200 rural female entrepreneurs in Cross River and Kano State by providing skills development, financial inclusion, market access, and processing hubs. The Y’elloPreneur initiative, as it is called, seeks to tackle the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, such as limited access to capacity building, funding, and markets essential for business growth.
Sanya mentioned that the Foundation has already supported 122 women entrepreneurs with N304 million. The new programme will offer training, business development support, pitching opportunities, and funding access. The initiative has set a goal to achieve equal male and female participation by 2030. Sanya emphasized the transformative impact of empowering women, stating that they play a crucial role in community transformation and economic strengthening.
The Y’elloPreneur initiative has already built the capacity of over 6,000 female entrepreneurs, enabling them to access funding and markets. Beneficiaries of the new programme will receive entrepreneurship training at the Enterprise Development Centre, develop business proposals, and access funding for viable enterprises.
Beatrice Eyong, UN Women’s Country Representative, emphasized the importance of digital inclusion for rural women, highlighting the potential for them to actively participate in Nigeria’s digital economy. The partnership specifically targets Kano and Cross River due to their agricultural activities, particularly in rice and cassava production, which provide opportunities for value addition and improved livelihoods.
Additionally, Dr. Howard Edafe, Head of Internal Audit and Forensic at MoMo PSB, expressed the bank’s support for the initiative by expanding financial education and inclusion across participating communities. Edafe stated that a transparent, community-based selection process would ensure fairness and effective implementation of the entrepreneurship empowerment programme. The bank is committed to driving financial inclusion, strengthening financial education, and ensuring transparent beneficiary selection for successful programme implementation.