Telecommunications giant MTN Ghana, has trained 35 young entrepreneurs in the Upper East Region on how to leverage social media platforms to boost their businesses.
The training, which included how participants could leverage advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, formed part of MTN Ghana’s annual “21 Days of Y’ello Care” initiative.
The participants, drawn from various sectors such as fashion, basket weaving, food, and crafts, among others, received hands-on training on how to effectively use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as AI tools, to increase their reach and improve sales.
Speaking to the media at the event in Bolgatanga, Mr Martin Yaw Kumobah, the Upper East Regional Lead for MTN Ghana, said the training was aimed at equipping participants with skills in social media marketing to promote their products and services beyond their immediate environment.
“In the month of June, MTN staff dedicate their time and resources to give back to society under the Y’ello Care initiative,” Mr Kumobah said.
He said, “This year, we decided to focus on economic empowerment by providing social media training to 35 young entrepreneurs who are already running small businesses.”
Mr Kumobah noted that many young people in the region lacked the necessary skills to fully exploit social media to enhance the visibility of their businesses and stressed the urgent need to tap into the opportunities offered by social media to increase sales.
“They know how to post, but not how to attract the right audience or boost their posts for better visibility,” he explained. “If you can’t reach people beyond your locality, your business will remain stagnant”, he said.
He added that the two-day training, which was offered free of charge, would help the young people gain new skills to market their products saying, “We expect them not only to market their own products but also to assist others for a fee.”
The Regional Lead encouraged young people to see social media as a powerful tool for transformation adding, “If you are a business-minded person and you invest in learning how to market using social media and even AI, the results in a few months can be phenomenal.”
The MTN Y’ello Care programme, launched in 2007, is MTN’s flagship employee volunteerism initiative, aimed at giving back to communities across its operational countries, with MTN employing impactful social interventions such as education, economic empowerment, health, and community development, among others.
Ms Paulina Kuoro, a participant who is into the sale of cement, commended the staff of MTN Ghana for the training and expressed the hope that the skills gained would help boost the visibility of her business and attract more customers.
Mr Mamudu Bansi, another participant who is into fashion, noted that although he was on social media platforms, he did not know how to benefit from them to boost his business and said he was now empowered with new digital skills to elevate his business.