MTN to invest over N65m in Nigerian start-ups through grants -

MTN Nigeria is set to invest in Nigerian-owned businesses through a campaign – ‘MTN Pulse BlowMyHustle’, which aims to economically empower Nigerian youths involved in scalable businesses.

‘Side hustles’ amongst Nigerian youths have become prevalent compared to previous generations.

According to a 2019 Geo Poll, side hustles have become fast-rising, with Nigeria leading the pack at 44.4percent, followed by Kenya at 40.8percent. This report sampled youths from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania, and found some of the major side hustles include agriculture, entertainment, ICT, online business, logistics, and food and beverage sectors, among others.

Speaking at the MTN Pulse launch event, Adia Sowho, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria said “The ‘hustle spirit’ amongst Nigeria’s young people is truly inspiring as they are innovative and entrepreneurial. MTN is here to support that ‘hustle’ so that their dreams can become reality.

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Young business owners have told us what they need, and with MTN Pulse Blow My Hustle, we will share business skills from experts in relevant fields and create access to financial grants. We look forward to the transformation that this initiative will propel.”

This campaign is geared towards further building entrepreneurial skills amongst Nigerian youths and providing them with the right principles to excel in various business industries.

The shortlisted 100 candidates of this initiative will gain access to virtual training on Business Management, Digital Marketing, Financial Literacy, Investment Strategies, Business Legal Requirements, Elevator Pitches amongst others; and tasks will be assigned after each class. The top 20 contestants will be selected based on performance after the two-week training period as finalists who will present their business ideas to a panel of judges, engage in a brief question and answer session.

According to Macrotrends, the unemployment rate of Nigerian youths as at 2021 was 19.61percent, having a decline of 0.06percent from 2020. The MT

Iheanyi Nwachukwu

Iheanyi Nwachukwu, is a creative content writer with over 18 years journalism experience writing on banking, finance and capital markets. The multiple awards winning journalist is Assistant Editor, BusinessDay. Iheanyi holds BSc Degree in Economics from Imo State University; Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Management from University of Lagos. Iheanyi has attended several work-related trainings including (i) Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (Pan African University, Lagos); (ii) News Agency Journalism (Indian Institute of Mass Communication {IIMC}, New Delhi, India); and (iii) Capital Markets Development and Regulations (International Law Institute {ILI} of Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA).

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