Ghana’s small and medium-sized enterprises continue to serve as the backbone of employment creation and local economic activity.

Despite their importance, many SMEs struggle to scale sustainably due to persistent capability gaps in areas such as governance, financial management, digital productivity and strategic planning. Addressing these challenges has become increasingly critical as businesses operate in a more competitive and digitised environment.

It is against this backdrop that Absa Bank Ghana, MTN Ghana and NOVA Business School Africa collaborated to deliver the 2025 Mini-MBA Programme, an initiative designed to strengthen the managerial and operational capacity of Ghanaian entrepreneurs and position them for long-term growth.

The Mini-MBA Programme brought together the complementary strengths of a financial institution, a telecommunications provider and an academic institution. Absa Bank Ghana provided strategic direction and SME ecosystem support, MTN Ghana contributed its expertise in digital enablement and enterprise connectivity, while NOVA Business School Africa delivered academic oversight and structured learning.

Through this partnership, 50 SME owners were selected to participate in an intensive business development journey that combined academic rigour with real-world application. Participants were drawn from diverse sectors including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, food services and professional services, reflecting the breadth of Ghana’s SME landscape. Several of the beneficiaries were also clients under Absa’s SheBusiness portfolio, reinforcing the programme’s inclusive focus on women-led enterprises.

A Blended Learning Model with Practical Impact

The Mini-MBA adopted a blended learning approach that balanced theory with hands-on experience. Participants engaged in in-person lectures, virtual masterclasses, leadership development sessions, coaching clinics and a final capstone project. This structure allowed entrepreneurs to apply concepts directly to their businesses while learning from peers facing similar operational realities.

The curriculum covered core business competencies critical to SME growth. These included business model innovation, digital productivity, financial management, regulatory compliance, sustainability practices and digital marketing. Beyond formal instruction, the programme created a collaborative environment where participants tested ideas, refined decision-making processes and built confidence in navigating complex business challenges.

Commenting on the initiative, Audrey Abakah, Director for SME and Partnerships at Absa Bank Ghana Ltd, underscored the bank’s philosophy toward SME development. She noted that access to finance alone is insufficient to drive sustainable growth, stressing that capability development is equally important. According to her, the Mini-MBA demonstrates what can be achieved when strong partners align practical learning with real business realities.

MTN Ghana’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Angela Mensah-Poku, highlighted the broader economic significance of the programme. She emphasised that the participating entrepreneurs are not only building businesses but also creating jobs and generating transformative revenue. She added that MTN’s commitment to financial and digital inclusion is rooted in ensuring that no segment of the business community is left behind.

Embedding the Mini-MBA Within a Broader SME Strategy

The Mini-MBA forms part of Absa Bank Ghana’s wider SME support framework, which integrates finance, skills development and strategic partnerships. In the first half of 2025 alone, the bank supported more than 1,300 MSMEs across the country. During the same period, SME loan disbursements reached GH¢293 million, complemented by GH¢351 million in agribusiness financing.

Through initiatives such as the SME@10% programme, implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, Absa continues to expand access to affordable finance for women-led businesses, youth enterprises, agribusiness operators and digital-first firms. SheBusiness, Absa’s women’s banking proposition, remains a key pillar of this ecosystem by offering access to finance, capacity building, networking opportunities and tailored business tools. The participation of several SheBusiness clients in the Mini-MBA cohort reflects this integrated approach.

Academic partner NOVA Business School Africa will continue to engage graduates through post-programme support and targeted coaching. This ongoing engagement is designed to ensure that learning outcomes translate into tangible improvements in governance, financial discipline and strategic execution within participating businesses.

MTN Ghana complemented the Mini-MBA with the introduction of the SME Rapid Growth Programme, a three-month blended learning initiative aimed at accelerating growth for high-value MSME customers. Together, these interventions reinforce the role of digital solutions, connectivity and data-driven decision-making in modern enterprise development.

Redefining SME Support Through Collaboration

By bringing together a bank, a telecoms provider and an academic institution, the Mini-MBA illustrates how private-sector collaboration can move beyond traditional access to finance to address deeper capability constraints. Beneficiaries are expected to embed stronger governance structures, improve financial transparency and adopt more disciplined strategic planning as they move forward.

As Ghana’s economy continues to rely on the resilience and innovation of its SMEs, initiatives such as the MTN–NOVA Mini-MBA underscore the importance of holistic support models. Through this alliance, Absa Bank Ghana is not only financing businesses but also helping to shape capable, competitive and future-ready enterprises that can drive sustainable economic growth.