MTN Nigeria has completed the first edition of its Cloud Accelerator Programme, awarding N5 million each to 20 early-stage startups and giving them access to MTN’s cloud stack, APIs, and payment channels to speed up deployment and scale.
Selected from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants, the startups went through a 12-week hybrid programme covering cloud engineering, product refinement, business modelling and go-to-market readiness. The initiative is part of MTN’s broader strategy to deepen digital entrepreneurship and grow cloud adoption across Africa.
Linda Saint-Nwafor, MTN’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, described the accelerator as a structured attempt to build Africa’s digital capacity using local infrastructure, not imported alternatives.
“For us, this is a deliberate investment in Africa’s digital future,” she said. “We want African solutions to be powered locally and scaled globally.”
Startups also gained technical integration with MTN’s cloud resources and payment rails—including SMS, USSD and API gateways—to shorten development cycles.
MTN executive Ayham Moussa said the programme was designed as “an engine for scale,” not a ceremonial showcase.
Representing the cohort, DoktorConnect’s founder, Dr. Joseph Olowe, said MTN provided both capital and expert navigation through the complexities of early-stage growth.
The selected startups include players in healthtech (DoktorConnect, MYITURA), fintech (Regxta, Creditchek), sustainability (Trashcoin, Scrapays), and agritech (Agrovesto, XChangeBOX).
