Leading ICT company, MTN Nigeria is set to fund unskilled businesses, micro enterprises and artisans with grants of up to five million Naira.
As a part of the Blow My Hustle campaign, this initiative aims to put the spotlight on informal businesses in need of funding.
According to The International Monetary Fund, approximately 5.5 million people own, operate or are employed under informal business structures in Lagos alone, which is about three quarters of the state’s labour force . This comprises artisans, street hawkers, vendors, traders, domestic workers, etc.
With these figures, it is evident that a considerable percentage of Nigerian entrepreneurs and businesses are in the informal sector.
MTN Nigeria is dedicated to empowering Nigerian businesses. The Blow My Hustle campaign which was launched on 19th October, 2022, aims to empower young Nigerians with scalable businesses through capacity building and grants.
Through the Pulse “Nominate Your Hustler” campaign, which is part of the Blow My Hustle campaign, 50 artisans and informal business owners will enjoy a one-time grant of 100, 000 naira from MTN to scale their businesses and enhance profitability.
The initiative requires individuals to nominate artisans or hustlers in the informal sector such as barbers, vulcanisers, hairdressers, who are diligent in their vocation and need a grant to scale their “hustle”. To nominate a hustler for this grant, anyone other than the hustler can upload a 60 second video on their personal Instagram or Twitter page, using the#MTNPulseBlowMyHustle.
In the video, the nominator is expected to describe the nominee’s business, stating the location, business type and the relevance of the ‘hustle’ to the society. The video has to be explanatory and convincing enough for the nominee to access the grant.
Credible and compelling videos are the basis of selection for this grant. All video entries will be scrutinised by a panel of judges to ensure equity and fairness
Applications for the ‘Nominate Your Hustler’ campaign are still open.
Interested individuals can visit the MTN Pulse website mtn.NG/pulse, to know more.
