Inside MTN’s pipeline for female leaders

Women-owned businesses remain a vital pillar of Nigeria’s economy, contributing about 37 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. However, unlocking their full potential requires sustained and structured support.

In response, the MTN Foundation has intensified efforts to empower Nigerian women and girls through targeted investments spanning education, entrepreneurship and digital skills development.

The Foundation’s flagship programmes, including Y’ellopreneur, scholarship schemes and ICT training initiatives, are recording strong female participation.

The Y’ellopreneur programme, currently open for its third phase, has trained over 5,700 female entrepreneurs, with 122 beneficiaries receiving equipment loans valued at more than ₦301 million.

By prioritising digital literacy and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), the initiative seeks to bridge the gender gap in Nigeria’s fast-growing technology ecosystem, ensuring women are not excluded from opportunities in the evolving digital economy.

The impact is also evident at the academic level. Data from the MTN Spelling Bee shows that three of the five winners so far have been girls, underscoring the growing academic competitiveness and potential of young Nigerian females when given access to opportunity.

In a symbolic push for leadership inclusion, the latest winner of the competition, 14-year-old Oreoluwa Alayande, served as Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria for a day on March 11, 2026, becoming the fifth participant in the initiative.

The company’s Global Graduate Development Programme further reflects this trend, with all five beneficiaries in the current cohort being women.

Beyond these, MTN continues to support women through initiatives such as Women @ Y’ello (W@Y) and Y’ello Mums, reinforcing its commitment to gender inclusion across its ecosystem.

Industry observers say the company’s approach signals a deliberate strategy to build a pipeline of female leaders, from classrooms to corporate boardrooms, while strengthening the broader economic impact of women-led enterprises.

MTN’s sustained investments, they note, underscore a growing recognition that empowering women is not only a social imperative but also a key driver of long-term economic growth.