The top 100 entrepreneurs with the most convincing business ideas were selected from the Photography, Edtech, Agriculture, Health, and Technology sectors.

These virtual training sessions are from industry professionals with wealth of experience in their various fields and are worth N28 million.

In the past week, the participants who have undergone training in Digital Marketing and Financial Management for MSMEs have been equipped with the technical know-how and relatable models for business growth that they can implement in their businesses going forward.

Digital skills are essential for life, and are the backbone of SMEs; the significance of financial literacy and management as a business owner in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized either.

In the coming days, course modules on sustainable business strategies, website development, business legal obligations, personal branding strategies and elevator pitches will also be explored; providing proper insights for thriving businesses.

According to the SME skills reports, digital immaturity and financial constraints are the third and fourth challenges faced by SMEs, while mismatched training and poor access to guidance are the first and second. To ensure seamless connectivity for the finalists, MTN provides each participant free daily data allocation to access the training.

After the training sessions, all 100 participants will still have access to mentoring sessions, even if they don’t meet the top 20 finalists.

From a holistic perspective, MTN Nigeria is committed to empowering youths with grants and the capacity building needed to achieve goals and thrive.

‘Side hustles’ amongst Nigerian youths have become prevalent compared to previous generations. 

According to a 2019 Geo Poll, side hustles have become fast-rising, with Nigeria leading the pack at 44.4%, followed by Kenya at 40.8%. This report sampled youths from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania, and found some of the major side hustles include agriculture, entertainment, ICT, online business, logistics, and food and beverage sectors, among others. 

Speaking at the MTN Pulse launch event on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, said: “The ‘hustle spirit’ amongst Nigeria’s young people is truly inspiring as they are innovative and entrepreneurial. MTN is here to support that ‘hustle’ so that their dreams can become reality. Young business owners have told us what they need, and with MTN Pulse Blow My Hustle, we will share business skills from experts in relevant fields and create access to financial grants. We look forward to the transformation that this initiative will propel.”

This campaign is geared towards further building entrepreneurial skills amongst Nigerian youths and providing them with the right principles to excel in various business industries.

Benefits

The shortlisted 100 candidates of this initiative will gain access to virtual training on Business Management, Digital Marketing, Financial Literacy, Investment Strategies, Business Legal Requirements, Elevator Pitches amongst others; and tasks will be assigned after each class. 

The top 20 contestants will be selected based on performance after the two-week training period as finalists who will present their business ideas to a panel of judges, engage in a brief question and answer session.

According to Macrotrends, the unemployment rate of Nigerian youths as at 2021 was 19.61%, having a decline of 0.06% from 2020. The MTN Pulse ‘Blow My Hustle’ campaign aims to elevate and improve the standards of living for the eligible participants.

How to apply

Applications for the MTN Pulse Blow My Hustle campaign are open to explore the various data offerings and share your compelling business plan visit the MTN Pulse website.

The Blow My Hustle campaign aims to empower young Nigerians with viable businesses through capacity building and grants.

According to a 2021 report by the Fate Institute, 67% of Nigerian entrepreneurs are young people aged 18 – 35 years.

The report reveals that the Nigerian entrepreneurial sector is developing at a strong pace and identified scarce financing opportunities as a source of frustration for entrepreneurs. MTN Nigeria seeks to help fill this gap through the MTN Pulse Blow My Hustle campaign.

Speaking at the press launch, Adia Sowho, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, said “The ‘hustle spirit’ amongst Nigeria’s young people is truly inspiring as they are innovative, entrepreneurial.  MTN is here to support that ‘hustle’ so that their dreams can become reality.  Young business owners have told us what they need, and with MTN Pulse Blow My Hustle, we will share business skills from experts in relevant fields, and create access to financial grants. We look forward to the transformation that this initiative will propel.”

MTN will provide grants and training for 100 young Nigerians who have existing businesses or seeking to start a new one. The shortlisted participants will have the opportunity to receive intensive virtual training from industry leaders and professionals that cut across personal development, wealth and investment management, digital marketing, website development, and elevator pitches, amongst others, for two weeks.

To participate in the MTN Pulse Blow My Hustle, young Nigerians, who are MTN subscribers, between ages 16-30 can submit a video pitch on the dedicated MTN Pulse website stating their ‘hustle’ and how a financial grant will scale the business. Of the 100 shortlisted businesses that will undergo 2 weeks of training, 20 finalists will receive a range of grants as high as 10 million Naira, which will be awarded based on the qualities of pitches presented during a grand finale event and assessed by a panel of judges. Members of the panel drawn from different business sectors include Tricia Olufemi-Olumide popularly known as Triciabiz, Oluwatosin Ajibade popularly known as Mr Eazi, a social innovator and entrepreneur, Chukwuma Monye, and the Co-founder of Bluechip Technologies, Olumide Soyombo.

Blow My Hustle by MTN Nigeria: How to Apply : See HERE or visit mtn.NG/pulse.