By Peace Udugba,-The Daily Torch Media
MTN Nigeria, in partnership with the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC), has highlighted its contribution to the growth of indigenous businesses and local supply chains in Nigeria.
The telecoms giant made this known at a business breakfast session organised by MTN Nigeria and NSACC at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The session, which brought together business leaders and corporate decision-makers, focused on 25 years of shared economic growth and the role of local partnerships in strengthening Nigeria’s business ecosystem.
A key highlight of the event was a panel discussion examining how MTN Nigeria has contributed to the development of local enterprises through commercial partnerships, procurement and capacity building.
Speaking during the panel, Chief Executive Officer of BlackHouse Media (BHM), Ayeni Adekunle, said partnerships between Nigerian and South African companies could create opportunities for indigenous businesses to expand beyond Africa.
Adekunle stressed the need for local content initiatives to go beyond domestic participation and equip African companies with the capacity to compete globally.
“My vision is for local Nigerian and African companies to do so well, to be so empowered, and to be so visionary that they can operate all over the world,” he said.
He added that bilateral chambers of commerce should serve as platforms for African businesses seeking opportunities in the global corporate market.
Also speaking, Group Managing Director of creative agency SO&U, Udeme Ufot, said working with a multinational company such as MTN Nigeria had helped indigenous service providers improve their systems, workforce and service delivery.
Ufot, who reflected on his agency’s more than two decades of engagement with MTN, said the company’s operational demands and standards had challenged local businesses to become more competitive.
“MTN compels you to raise your business to world-class standards, a game that ensures you can play anywhere in the world, leaving you with capabilities that endure long after,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Seams and Stitches, Yemi Chukwurah, highlighted the impact of structured corporate procurement on local manufacturing and supply chains.
Chukwurah said MTN’s extensive engagement with Nigerian workers and indigenous vendors demonstrated how foreign investment could become deeply integrated into the local economy.
“MTN might have originated as a South African company, but it is more Nigerian right now because of collaboration, local content, and the Nigerian minds who have built it into an authentic local business,” she said.
Similarly, Group Chief Operating Officer of Computer Warehouse Group (CWG), Afolabi Sobande, said partnerships between major telecommunications companies and indigenous technology firms could strengthen Africa’s technological capacity.
Sobande pointed to CWG’s experience providing managed services to major telecom operators as evidence of the capabilities of Nigerian technology professionals when given access to major commercial opportunities.
“Nigeria and South Africa can take Africa to the world, and that is what MTN has demonstrated,” he said.
The panellists agreed that the impact of corporate partnerships extends beyond individual supply contracts, as such relationships can help local businesses build lasting capabilities, create jobs, strengthen supply chains and position African talent for international opportunities.
The discussions further underscored the importance of sustaining local content and capacity-building initiatives as Nigerian and other African businesses seek to expand their operations across the continent and beyond.
