Encomium
MTN Foundation and United Nations Women have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand economic opportunities for rural women through agriculture, marking the beginning of a strategic partnership that will empower 200+ women in Kano and Cross River States.
Implemented under the Foundation’s Y’ellopreneur Initiative, the programme will equip women with entrepreneurship and agricultural skills, digital financial tools, market access and modern processing infrastructure to help them build sustainable businesses, increase income and strengthen their communities.
The partnership builds on MTN Foundation’s investment of more than ₦1.2 billion in women-owned businesses since 2022, which has empowered over 6,099 peri-urban women entrepreneurs across Nigeria. This new phase extends that impact to rural communities by supporting women across the rice value chain in Kano State as well as the cassava and seafood value chains in Cross River State.
As part of the programme, participants will be onboarded onto MoMo PSB’s digital financial platform and connected to a digital marketplace that links them with institutional buyers. They will also gain access to modern processing facilities powered by climate-friendly biogas technology, helping to improve productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance market competitiveness.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Executive Director of MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, said: “Empowering women is one of the most effective ways to build and grow more resilient communities. Through our partnership with UN Women, we are expanding the Y’ellopreneur Initiative to reach rural women whose contributions to agriculture are critical to Nigeria’s economic growth. We are combining skill development, digital inclusion and improved market access, to create opportunities that will deliver lasting impact for these women as well as their communities.”
Also speaking on the partnership, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, said: “Rural women are at the heart of agricultural production and community development, yet many remain excluded from the digital systems that increasingly shape economic opportunities and access to essential services. At UN Women, we believe that women’s rights are human rights. Every woman should have the ability and freedom to make informed choices about her future. This initiative will help us achieve these goals.”
Speaking on behalf of the Ag. Chief Executive Officer of MoMo PSB, Omolara Michael-Nwadu; Howard Edafe, Head, Internal Audit and Forensics at MoMo PSB, said: “Our key objective at MoMo PSB is to drive financial inclusion to the remotest parts of Nigeria and ensure that more people, especially underserved communities, can participate in the formal financial system.”
Recipients will be identified through a community-based selection process coordinated by UN Women in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Women Affairs and Agriculture, as well as community structures in the participating states.
Through this collaboration, MTN Foundation, UN Women and MoMo PSB aim to create a scalable model for advancing women’s economic empowerment and strengthening agricultural/processing value chains.
