MTN Foundation ICT and Business Skills Training (Phase 8): Free Training + Chance at ₦100 Million Equipment Grant for 100 Women

The MTN Foundation has opened applications for Phase 8 of its ICT and Business Skills Training Programme, and this round is squarely targeted at young Nigerian women running microbusinesses. If you've been looking for a free, credible way to sharpen your digital and business skills — with a shot at serious equipment funding on top — this is one to look at closely.

What Is the Programme About?

The MTN ICT and Business Skills Training Programme is a youth-development initiative that has been running since 2018. Over seven previous phases, it has trained more than 15,000 young microbusiness owners across Nigeria, in partnership with organisations like Google, Oracle, KPMG, IBM, Cisco, Meta, and Microsoft.

Phase 8 will train 3,000 female microbusiness owners through a five-week blended learning programme combining:

- Self-paced online modules

- Instructor-led sessions

- Masterclasses from experienced entrepreneurs

- A capstone project challenge

- Participants also receive data support throughout the programme, so connectivity costs don't stand in the way of learning.

The biggest draw, though, is the incentive at the end: the top 100 participants stand a chance to receive equipment grants of up to ₦1 million each, drawn from a total fund of ₦100 million. It's worth noting this isn't a blanket cash gift — it's reserved for participants who complete the training and perform strongly enough to rank among the top 100.

Who Is It For?

This phase is specifically targeted, so read the eligibility criteria carefully before applying. To qualify, you must:

- Be a Nigerian woman

- Be between 18 and 35 years old

- Own and manage a microbusiness

- Have operated that business for no more than two years

- Have your business located in one of these six states: Rivers, Abia, Ogun, Kwara, Kano, or Gombe

Applicants outside these six states are not eligible for this particular intake, even though earlier phases covered a much wider spread of the country. So if your business is based elsewhere, this round isn't for you — but it's worth following the MTN Foundation page for future phases that may open to your state.

For Arewa women in Kano and Gombe especially, this is another solid opportunity worth adding to your list alongside other skills-building programmes designed for women-led microbusinesses.

Deadline

Applications close on October 11, 2026. Don't wait until the last few days — make sure your business, age, and location details are accurate and consistent before you submit.

How to Apply

There is no application fee. Apply directly through the official MTN Foundation page:

👉 Apply here: mtn.ng/ict

Before you click submit, double-check that you meet all five eligibility points above — being female, within the age bracket, owning a microbusiness under two years old, and based in one of the six eligible states.

Final Word

This programme is built around building real skills first — digital marketing, business management, and technology adoption — with the equipment grant as a performance-based bonus rather than the whole point. If you're a young woman running a microbusiness in Rivers, Abia, Ogun, Kwara, Kano, or Gombe, this is a genuinely useful opportunity to strengthen your business and potentially walk away with equipment support to grow it further.

Share this with a female entrepreneur in your circle who fits the criteria — someone in your network may need to see this today.