MTN ICT & Business Skills Training Program 2025 for Nigerians
- Omran Aburayya
- Oct 1
- 3 min read
If you are a Nigerian micro-business owner aged 18-35 looking to build or boost your digital business skills, the MTN ICT & Business Skills Training Program 2025 (Phase 7) is a prime opportunity. You’ll receive tech and business training, support resources, and a chance to win equipment grants—all aimed at keeping your enterprise competitive in a fast-changing, digital world. Here's everything you need to know.
🧭 Program Summary
Country: Nigeria
Organisers: MTN Foundation, in partnership with ecosystem partners including Microsoft, Meta, KPMG, IBM, Oracle, Digital Bridge Institute, Cisco, etc.
Programme Type: Training / youth entrepreneurship / digital skills + business skills
Target Group: Nigerian men and women aged 18-35 who own and manage a micro business operating for no more than 2 years.
Focus: ICT-enabled business skills (digital tools, branding, online business, generative AI, entrepreneurship in the digital age, etc.)
Duration/Format: 5 weeks, blended-learning: self-paced online modules + instructor-led masterclasses.
Award / Benefits:
Free data / internet access support during training.
Equipment grants from a ₦300,000,000 fund for the top 600 participants.
Number of Participants: 6,000 micro business owners expected to participate in this Phase.
Required Eligibility: Ownership of micro-business ≤ 2 years old; business located in specified states; Nigerian citizen; aged 18-35.
Application Deadline: 4 October 2025
📚 Programme Overview
MTN’s ICT & Business Skills Training is a youth empowerment initiative designed to help small business owners in Nigeria leverage digital and business tools so they can stay relevant, competitive, and able to scale.
Since its beginning in 2018, there have been six previous phases across 22 states, with over 9,382 micro-business owners trained already.
Phase 7 continues the tradition, expanding training to additional states (Abuja / FCT, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Enugu, Ondo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba).
The training is delivered in a blended model: self-paced modules (you study on your own schedule) plus instructor-led classes, including masterclasses from industry experts.
🎁 Benefits
Participants in Phase 7 can expect:
Five-week training program that provides digital & business skills training at no cost.
Free support with data / internet during the online portions so connectivity is not a barrier.
Exposure to masterclasses by experts in ICT, branding, digital business, generative AI, etc., helping you modernise and scale your business.
For the top 600 participants, equipment grants from the ₦300 million pool to help improve infrastructure of your business (devices, tools, etc.)
Increased business exposure, networking with peers & experts, improved capacity to compete in the digital economy.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, you must meet all of the following:
Be a Nigerian citizen (male or female).
Be between 18 and 35 years old.
Own and manage a micro business that has been operating for no more than 2 years.
Your business must be located in one of the specified states: Abuja (FCT), Bauchi, Bayelsa, Enugu, Ondo, Plateau, Sokoto, or Taraba.
📝 Application Procedure
Go to the MTN Foundation ICT and Business Skills Training Phase 7 application page.
Check that you meet all eligibility criteria (age, business ownership, location).
Prepare your business information, proof of operation, etc.
Complete the application form before the deadline (preferably earlier, to avoid delays).
Once accepted, participate actively for the full duration (self-paced + instructor-led + masterclasses).
📆 Deadlines & Notes
Application Deadline: ~ 4 October 2025
Training Duration: 5 weeks (blended).
Equipment Grant Awarded: After the training, for the top 600 participants.
🚀 Why This Matters
This program is crucial because micro-businesses are often disproportionately affected by lack of access to technology and business skills. This gives a boost in capacity, competitiveness, and sustainability.
The large number of beneficiaries (6,000 expected in Phase 7) and the ₦300 million equipment fund show MTN’s serious investment in youth, tech, and entrepreneurship.
For those in the eligible states, it’s an excellent chance to access resources, training, and grants that might otherwise be hard to reach.
