MTN Ghana is helping award-winning small and medium-sized enterprises build stronger, more competitive businesses through an integrated support package that combines business insurance, mini-MBA training, access to international investors and a trade mission to Asia.
Announced at the SMEGA 2026 awards ceremony in Accra, the package turns recognition into practical growth support – helping SMEs protect their operations, strengthen leadership capability, connect with investors and pursue opportunities beyond Ghana.
Organised by SME GrowAfrica, the awards recognised businesses translating innovation into measurable enterprise value across digital transformation, operational efficiency, value addition and sustainable business practices.
The support builds on the year-long SME Accelerate Programme, which moved participating businesses from learning to application through targeted training, business clinics, pitching opportunities and mini-MBA education – strengthening strategy, execution and investment readiness.
Together, the interventions create a pathway from recognition to resilience and scale, giving the winners the skills, protection, visibility and connections needed to compete more effectively, attract partnerships and enter new markets.
Queen GAF Enterprise emerged as one of the biggest winners of the night, receiving the Agri-Business Value Addition & Market Award and the Women Entrepreneur Award, among others.
Other winners included Ahodwo Farms Limited, which received the Agri-Business Production Award; Artivity Limited, which won the Creative Arts, Crafts & Design Award; DemiPearl Company Limited, which received the Food, Beverage & Agro-Processing Award; Binas Prime Enterprise, which won the Retail & Consumer Products Trade Award; Bubune Africa Limited, which received the Product Innovation Award; and Excelsa Forestry Renewables Ghana Ltd., which won the Sustainable Enterprise & ESG Excellence Award.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Enterprise Officer at MTN Ghana, Angela Mensah Opoku, said enabling SMEs to grow is central to the company’s commitment to inclusive growth and to being a force for good as MTN marks 30 years in Ghana because stronger SMEs support stronger communities and a more resilient economy.
She said MTN Ghana would continue to enable small businesses with digital infrastructure, tailored fintech solutions and enterprise support that help them operate more efficiently, improve productivity and compete in an increasingly digital economy.
Senior Manager for SME Sales, Partnerships and Business Broadband at MTN Ghana, Mohammed Abubakari Siddiq, said the awards marked the culmination of a year of practical interventions designed to build SME capability, sharpen business propositions and increase market visibility.
He said the programme had enabled businesses to learn, refine and pitch their ideas, connect with potential partners and build the confidence and visibility required to pursue new opportunities.
“We are exposing them to the media, we are exposing them to the world, for the world to know the good work these SMEs are doing in their various corners,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), Margaret Ansei, said winning an award should come with a responsibility to build on the achievement.
“Trophies need to be celebrated, but they come with their responsibilities as well,” she said.
Noting that SMEs account for about 90 per cent of businesses in Ghana, she called for sustained collaboration to create the conditions in which they can thrive, create opportunity and contribute more fully to national development.
“They are the backbone of this economy. They must be encouraged, they must be helped, they must be promoted. We are also very proud of MTN Ghana for doing this with us,” she said.
Executive Director of SME GrowAfrica, Kwesi Ofori Jr., said the package was deliberately designed to convert recognition into readiness for the winners’ next stage of growth.
“When you recognise a business, you set them a straight path, and you also give them a task ahead,” he said.
He said SME GrowAfrica would continue preparing the businesses to secure partnerships, attract investment and translate training into sustainable commercial growth.
Mr Ofori Jr. also urged the winners to embed environmental, social and governance standards in their operations and build enduring businesses that can create value beyond their founders.
As part of the package, Star Assurance Group announced comprehensive business insurance for the winners, giving them greater protection against operational risks as they grow.
The combined package addresses critical barriers to SME growth: insurance strengthens resilience; advanced training builds management capability; investor access opens pathways to finance and partnerships; and the Asia trade mission provides direct exposure to international markets.
By bringing together business leaders, government officials, development partners and the media, the ceremony reinforced the shared role of the public and private sectors in enabling SMEs to become more resilient, productive and competitive contributors to Ghana’s economy.
