Stanbic And MTN Ghana To Empower Youth With Digital Skills And Entrepreneurship | Business News

Stanbic Bank Ghana and MTN Ghana have joined forces, through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to empower the youth with essential digital skills for both personal and professional development.

The collaboration is in recognition of the critical role that digital literacy plays in today’s world. The MoU was signed by Kwamina Asomaning (Chief Executive, Stanbic Bank) and Noel Kojo-Ganson (Chief Commercial Officer, Scancom Plc-MTN Ghana)

Through the partnership, Stanbic Bank and Scancom will provide comprehensive digital skills training to customers in their Youth Segments, specifically targeting individuals below 35 years. The collaboration will leverage the MTN Pulse platforms to deliver impactful educational content and practical exercises aimed at enhancing entrepreneurship.

The MoU is set to last for one year, marking a substantial period for impactful collaboration.

Speaking on the importance of the partnership, Benjamin Mensah, Head of Personal and Private Banking (PPB) at Stanbic Bank Ghana said equipping the country’s youth to confront the future with confidence is critical for the fortunes of the country. He said, “The young generation represents not only the future workforce but also the next wave of innovators, leaders, and change-makers. By investing in their education, skills development, and overall well-being, the country can harness the potential of its youth to drive sustainable economic growth and societal advancement. Neglecting this crucial demographic would mean missing out on a tremendous opportunity to build a prosperous and resilient nation. Therefore, it is imperative for Ghana to prioritize youth development to ensure a bright and thriving future for all its citizens.”

Benjamin Mensah encouraged the youth, especially customers of Stanbic Bank Ghana, to seize the opportunity presented by the new initiative. He urged them to actively participate and utilize the resources provided to enhance their personal development and skill sets. By doing so, he stressed, they would be better prepared to navigate and thrive in the evolving landscape of the future.

On his side, the Chief Commercial Officer for MTN Ghana, Mr. Noel Ganson, said, “MTN is excited to partner with a multinational organization like Stanbic Bank to support youth development in general and young entrepreneurs to grow their businesses using digital skills. As an organization committed to delivering digital solutions for Africa’s progress, partnerships of this nature help us achieve that. MTN believes that everyone deserves the benefit of a modern connected life. We are confident that through our MTN Pulse initiatives such as the ‘JustBe Series’ and the Business Challenge, we will be able to enhance digital literacy, drive entrepreneurship, and economically empower young people to excel.”

Stanbic Bank has over the years initiated many programmes aimed at youth development. Key among these initiatives is the SB Incubator, a state-of-the-art co-working space to offer world-class boardroom, hot-desks, virtual business address services and a 100-seater capacity auditorium for events.

This space provides an enabling environment for young start-ups to hatch their businesses without the burden of renting an office and meeting spaces for client meetings. Since 2019, the SBIncubator has supported over 1,000 entrepreneurs through over 500 curated workshops, pitch sessions and networking events. 

As the SBIncubator continues to evolve to meet the growing needs of entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs, our goal is to provide entrepreneurs with support to gain access to finance, access to market and most importantly professional guidance as they journey these uncharted paths. The partnership between Stanbic Bank and MTN Ghana will further allow more Ghanaian youth to benefit from critical digital skills to enable them to prepare for the future of work and in their entrepreneurial journeys.