18th November, 2023
The Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) in partnership with the MTN MoMo has introduced a mobile money platform for start-ups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to grow their businesses.
The product was unveiled at the MTN MoMo and NASME Symposium and Exhibition, on Friday, in Lagos.
The National President of NASME, Dr Abdulrashid Yerima, said familiarising the NASME community with the MTN MoMo wallet and MTN products would play a significant role in supporting the growth and development of SMEs in Nigeria.
According to him, by providing NASME members with the tools and resources they need to succeed, MTN has helped to create a more inclusive and prosperous economy for all Nigerians.
“As the President of the Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, I am honoured to be part of this collaborative effort between MTN MoMo and NASME that symbolises a commitment to fostering growth, innovation, and connectivity within our vibrant small and medium-sized enterprise community.
“This initiative aligns with the one-billion-naira youth and women empowerment fund and the overarching vision of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.
“It also marks the commencement of a transformative experience designed to introduce the MTN MoMo Wallet and MTN products to NASME.
“It serves as a conduit for networking, expert-led workshops, and seminars aimed at equipping SMEs with the tools and knowledge necessary for sustainable growth,’’ he said.
Yerima was represented at the event by Mr Solomon Aderoju, the National Vice President of NASME.
The Chief Commercial Officer, MoMo, Elsa Muzzolini, who thanked NASME for the collaboration, said that MoMo was willing to engage them and address their specific challenges and requirements.
“We want to listen to your needs and what you want MoMo and MTN to do to help you in your business daily.
“I want you to share with us what you want MoMo to do for you; my team will collate all your submissions and make sure that we integrate them because we believe in co-design and collaboration to serve the needs of our customer,’’ she said.
Dr Femi Egbesola, President of the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), congratulated NASME and MoMo for the partnership and for identifying with the SMEs.
Egbesola, however, provided specific recommendations on how MTN MoMo could better support small and medium-sized enterprises.
This, he said, was a proactive approach for MoMo to identify and address the needs of SMEs, which is crucial for fostering their growth and success.
Egbesola said, “The first is that we would love to have the logo of our business membership organisation on your MoMo platform for the world to see that we are actually partnering with you and you are partnering with us.
“Next is that when you are dealing with SMEs, we want you to use us as your brand ambassadors.
“We wish that you introduce quite some different support services with your MoMo platform where all SMEs can display their products and services free of charge that will give you a lot of feasibility and will also help you to have our data free of charge
“We would also appreciate it if you could have a mentorship platform on your platform that can assist us to have people who are credible, knowledgeable and experienced.
“That can afford the startups and those who are younger in business on how to do business right, among others.’’
(NAN)