The “analog” era of Nigerian small business is facing a forced retirement. This Monday, 6,000 microbusiness owners across the federation logged on for the seventh phase of the MTN Foundation’s ICT and Business Skills training, a massive virtual push to replace handwritten records with high-speed digital systems.
This isn’t just a tech workshop; it is a tactical alignment with the Federal Government’s National Digital Economy agenda, aimed at formalizing the millions of “invisible” businesses that power the nation’s streets.
From Hope to Systems
The inaugural session, led by business strategist Babajide Jolaolu-Kehinde, delivered a blunt reality check to participants: “Hope is a good thing, but only systems and action make growth happen.”
The training focused on moving traders beyond their immediate physical localities by mastering the “Digital Trinity”:
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Digital Record-Keeping: Moving from easily lost paper books to basic spreadsheets and apps that offer real-time visibility into profit and loss.
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Contactless Commerce: Shifting from cash-only operations to mobile transfers and WhatsApp Business to capture a wider, tech-savvy customer base.
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Data-Driven Growth: Using customer data to track behavior and prioritize stock, rather than relying on guesswork.
The SWOT Transformation
Participants were guided through a rigorous SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) to identify exactly where their manual processes were “leaking” money.
The verdict from the trainers was clear: manual operations are a ceiling on success. Paper records don’t just take up space; they restrict a business’s ability to prove its turnover to banks and investors, effectively locking them out of the formal financial system.
The Roadmap Ahead
The four-week intensive isn’t a one-and-done event. Following the initial onboarding, the MTN Foundation and its partners—moderated by Temiloluwa Oyekanmi—have committed to:
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Follow-up Workshops: Deep dives into specific online marketplaces.
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Mentorship Circles: Connecting seasoned digital entrepreneurs with those just starting their pivot.
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Implementation Tracking: Ensuring every participant adopts at least one tangible digital tool before the program concludes.
The Bottom Line: By empowering 6,000 traders to swap their pens for smartphones, the MTN Foundation is building a more resilient, traceable, and scalable SME sector. In 2026, the competitive edge for a Nigerian trader isn’t just what they sell, but how they track it.
