MTN Ghana has entreated small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to leverage business support programmes, investment opportunities and international partnerships to expand their operations and contribute more significantly to Ghana’s economic growth.The call was made at the 2026 MTN SMEGA Awards held at the Alisa Hotel, marking the culmination of a year-long programme focused on business development, capacity building and market access.The initiative recognises outstanding businesses across sectors, including agribusiness and manufacturing, while providing entrepreneurs with opportunities to strengthen their operations and attract investment.Senior Manager for SME Sales, Business Broadband and Partnerships at MTN Ghana, Mohammed Abubakari-Sidick, said the awards were designed to celebrate businesses and increase their visibility. He added that the programme had exposed participating businesses to the media and wider markets, creating opportunities for them to attract new partnerships.“Even the recognition is a very great benefit, giving them a stage for us to be able to project them to the whole world that they have done well. I’m very sure that the benefit that we have given them is exposure, that we have exposed them to the media, we have exposed them to the world, for the world to know the good work that these SMEs are doing,” he noted.Executive Director of SME GrowAfrica LBG, Kwesi Ofori Jnr, said the SMEGA initiative had supported businesses since 2013 through training, market access and investment opportunities.He explained that recognition could help businesses attract partners, expand their operations and create employment.“Since 2013, SMEGA has been supporting SMEs to find the right path, the right partners and positioning. When you recognise a business, you set them a straight path, you also give them a tag ahead to make sure that they’re positioned to attract more partners, position to grow,” he added.This year’s awardees are expected to benefit from business insurance, a mini-MBA programme, a trade mission to Asia and engagements with international investors.Mr Ofori Jnr said the support was intended to equip entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge needed to take advantage of emerging opportunities.“Knowledge seeking and capacity is one of the key components in helping you acquire the right knowledge and the tools, the skill set to grow a business from one stage to the other,” he said.He also urged business owners to build sustainable enterprises capable of surviving beyond their founders and to incorporate environmental, social and governance principles into their operations.Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Noah Tumfo, described SMEs as central to Ghana’s development, stressing that their growth could help address unemployment and strengthen economic productivity. He noted that government was focused on creating a supportive policy and regulatory environment to encourage entrepreneurship and employment, particularly among young people.“SMEs are the bane of our development. If SMEs grow, the country benefits. This award comes as a morale booster for entrepreneurs to be able to do more, to employ and create productivity in the economy,” he added.Mr Tumfo also highlighted the role of digitalisation in improving business efficiency, citing a project undertaken with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Japanese government to help SMEs identify operational challenges and adopt targeted technological solutions.“We are looking to have more of such situations where digitalisation becomes the norm because it helps SMEs to cut down their wastes and they are able to focus more on expanding their productivity base,” he said.He added that the Ghana Enterprises Agency provides training, grants and soft loans to support businesses, while the Ministry works to ensure they operate within a sustainable regulatory framework.Mr Tumfo said expanding beyond the domestic market was essential to strengthening the contribution of SMEs to Ghana’s economy.“We are looking at growing our SMEs to go beyond just the Ghanaian markets, because it’s when they increase their productivity and expand outside the economy that they bring in the needed foreign exchange to help the country stabilise,” he said.Stakeholders at the awards emphasized that sustained investment in capacity building, digitalisation, access to finance and international partnerships would be critical to helping Ghanaian businesses scale up, create jobs and contribute to long-term economic growth.