News Highlights:
- Y’ellopreneur 3.0 is a ₦1 billion matching-fund programme to provide equipment financing, training, mentorship, and advisory support for 200 women-led MSMEs across Nigeria.
- The initiative aims to move women entrepreneurs from small-scale operations to sustainable, industrial-level businesses, strengthening financial inclusion and economic participation nationwide.
In a strategic push to transform women-owned businesses from micro operations into industrial-scale enterprises, the MTN Foundation, in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI), has opened applications for the Y’ellopreneur 3.0 programme, a ₦1 billion matching-fund initiative delivered through the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University.
Rather than a conventional empowerment scheme, the third edition is positioned as a scale accelerator for women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), combining equipment financing with capacity development, mentorship, and advisory support designed to strengthen long-term business resilience.
Recent insights indicate a powerful entrepreneurial wave among Nigerian women: 85 per cent identify as entrepreneurs, and 90 per cent intend to start their own businesses. This rising ambition, stakeholders say, makes structured financing and institutional support critical to unlocking growth across sectors.
Speaking at a media parley held at MTN Nigeria headquarters in Lagos, the First Lady of Lagos State, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, represented by Mrs. Oyinlola Agoro, wife of the Lagos State Head of Service, emphasised the programme’s role in economic inclusion.
She said initiatives like MTN Y’ellopreneur provide women with access to the skills, financing, and networks needed to build sustainable enterprises.
“The Lagos state administration remains deeply committed to initiatives that transition our women from the margins of the economy to the mainstream of industrial growth. I am immensely proud of the past Y’ellopreneurs who have transformed their skills into scalable enterprises. This partnership with MTN and the BOI is a testament to what we can achieve when the public and private sectors align to champion the African woman.”
Chairman of MTN Foundation, Mosun Olusoga, framed the intervention as a nation-building strategy rather than corporate philanthropy.
“At the MTN Foundation, we have moved far beyond the era of viewing women’s empowerment as ‘social good’ or a checkbox in a CSR report. We see it as a cornerstone for nation-building. Because when a woman thrives, the circular economy is no longer a theoretical concept. It becomes a reality that feeds families, educates children, and stabilises communities.”
Announcing the new funding window, she added: “It is with my distinct honour to announce our partnership with the Bank of Industry as we launch the MTN x BOI Y’ellopreneur 3.0 Matching Fund, a ₦1 billion intervention.
“This fund is specifically designed to provide equipment financing for 200 deserving women, enabling them to transition from small-scale operations to industrial-strength businesses. We are looking for innovators, disruptors, and builders, women who are ready to take their seat at the table of the digital economy.”
Representing BOI’s Managing Director and CEO, Olasupo Olusi, Executive Director for MSMEs, Oluwatoyin Ahmed Edu, described the programme as aligned with the bank’s core priorities.
“This initiative aligns strongly with BOI’s strategic priority areas: gender balance, MSME growth, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship development. Today represents more than a financial partnership; it symbolises our collective belief in the power of women to drive inclusive and sustainable economic progress.”
Executive Director of MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, highlighted the programme’s measurable outcomes and called for wider ecosystem support.
“Y’ellopreneur 3.0 is designed to deliver measurable impact by equipping women with the skills, networks, and financial support required to grow resilient businesses that contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economy.”
Beyond the formal launch, the event doubled as a showcase of success stories. A market activation at the MTN Nigeria Rooftop Event Centre featured products and services from past participants, demonstrating how earlier cohorts have translated training into viable enterprises.
A high-level panel session further examined structural barriers facing women entrepreneurs. Speakers included Oreoluwa Finnih-Awokoya, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals; Adesola Ogunleye, National President of the Country Women Association of Nigeria; and Hansatu Adegbite, National Consultant for Private Sector Partnerships at UN Women.
Speaking on the theme “Beyond Empowerment: Building Resilient Women-Led Businesses in Nigeria’s Emerging Economy,” panellists stressed that sustainable growth will depend on stronger support systems, improved access to finance, and policies that enable women-owned enterprises to scale competitively.
With applications now open, stakeholders say Y’ellopreneur 3.0 represents a shift from empowerment rhetoric to structured economic transformation, one designed not just to start businesses, but to help them endure, expand, and lead.
Applications are now open to women entrepreneurs across sectors, including agriculture, energy, trading, fashion, ICT and digital services, waste management, recycling, food processing and manufacturing in Nigeria. Interested candidates can apply via www.mtn.ng/foundation/yellopreneur/