MTN Creates New Drive for Business Partnership in Nigeria
Nosa Alekhuogie
In a bid to empower small businesses, impact on the economy through digital inclusion, MTN Nigeria has launched a partner programme initiative.
The launch came up at the maiden Partner Summit with the theme: “MTN Fusion,” which held in Lagos recently.
According to MTN, the program which would be held annually seeks to change the way the telco serves the Nigerian enterprise market.
It enables local and global partners to become part of the MTN Business solutions offering and also adding exponential value to its enterprise business customers, as well as the broader business landscape in Nigeria.
The Senior Manager, Partnership and Alliance Management Enterprise Business, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Akinbulejo Onabolu, while speaking on the sidelines of the event said: “We are trying to build an ecosystem of partners who create solutions for themselves by themselves and with us. “MTN enterprise business is opening up its doors to partnering with small businesses, technology start-ups, large global players and also, organisations interested in selling our solutions.”
He added: “We cover small businesses, large enterprises and the Public sector. Now we are putting a structure around partnerships which is the fusion.
“This is us saying, partners come work with us to create solutions, let’s bring the ideas you have to life. “
Speaking further, Onabolu explained that, “We offer access to our assets, resources and capabilities. We have this portfolio of competencies assets and resources which we bring into the mix for partnerships.
“Fusion for us is bringing together these different set of partners who work with us to create value across board. These includes SMEs, large organisations and the public sector.
“The ecosystem of partners includes technology, capability and channel partners, but we have existing partners we have been working with.
“What we are doing now is creating an interesting incentive structure to drive alignment and the right behavior and putting in proper governance.”
On her part, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer, MTN Nigeria, Lynda SaintNwafor, explained that the summit provided an opportunity to bring trusted and new partners together to share the partner operating model and structure which is targeted at making it easier for partners to work with MTN to create the future together.
Speaking further she said: “We have been engaging partners on case- by- case basis. These partners either bring in the needed technology and platforms to co-create new solutions or share their unique expertise and competencies to help us develop solutions that drive growth and increase market reach.”