Absa Bank Ghana boosts SME growth with the MTN–NOVA Mini-MBA partnership

Small and medium-sized enterprises in Ghana play a key role in creating jobs and driving local economic activity, but many still struggle with capability gaps that hold them back from growing sustainably.

The 2025 Mini-MBA Programme, created in partnership with MTN Ghana, Absa Bank Ghana, and NOVA Business School Africa, was all about tackling this challenge.

The programme supported 50 SME owners through a structured business development journey combining academic rigour with practical application.

Participants were drawn from diverse sectors, including retail, manufacturing, health, food services and professional services, with several belonging to Absa’s SheBusiness portfolio.

A partnership built to close capability gaps

The Mini-MBA followed a blended learning model that combined in-person lectures, virtual masterclasses, leadership sessions, coaching clinics and a final capstone project.

The curriculum covered core business competencies such as business model innovation, digital productivity, finance, compliance, sustainability and digital marketing.

Beyond formal instruction, the programme created space for entrepreneurs to test ideas, strengthen decision-making and learn from peers facing similar operating realities.

Commenting on the initiative, Audrey Abakah, Director for SME and Partnerships at Absa Bank Ghana LTD, said, “At Absa, we have learned that finance is not the only important part of what an enterprise needs to grow. Capability matters as much.”

“This Mini-MBA reflects what is possible when strong partners combine practical learning with real business realities.”

MTN Ghana’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Angela Mensah-Poku, emphasised the broader impact of the programme:

“The entrepreneurs are employing people, generating transformative revenue, and we are proud to be part of their journey. MTN’s mandate under financial and digital inclusion is to ensure nobody is left behind.”

Building capability within a broader SME strategy

The Mini-MBA forms part of Absa Bank Ghana’s wider approach to supporting MSMEs through a combination of finance, skills development and partnerships. In the first half of 2025, the bank supported more than 1,300 MSMEs nationwide.

SME loan disbursements reached GH¢293 million, alongside GH¢351 million in agribusiness financing.

Through initiatives such as the SME@10% programme, delivered in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, Absa continues to expand access to finance for women-led businesses, youth enterprises, agribusinesses and digital-first firms.

SheBusiness, Absa’s women’s banking proposition, remains an integral part of this ecosystem, offering access to finance, capacity-building, networks, and business tools. Several SheBusiness clients were among this year’s graduating cohort.

NOVA Business School Africa, which provided academic oversight, will continue to support graduates through post-programme engagement and targeted coaching to ensure that learning outcomes translate into tangible business improvements.

MTN Ghana complemented these interventions by introducing the SME Rapid Growth Programme (SRGP), a three-month blended-learning initiative designed to accelerate business growth for high-value MSME customers.

Looking ahead, beneficiaries from the programme are expected to embed improved governance, stronger financial discipline and more transparent strategic decision-making within their businesses as they move forward.

By uniting a telecommunications provider, a financial institution, and an academic partner, the Mini-MBA shows how private-sector collaboration can go beyond providing access to finance to tackle the deeper capability challenges faced by SMEs.

Source: Accra Business News