Mukono SMEs tipped on affordable financing, growth
Over 450 participants said the mixture of access to business development services and access to affordable financial products and services has ignited their quest for better prospects in their enterprises.
Participants in the MSME Accelerator during a group discussion to find business solutions. (Courtesy photo)
By Nelson Kiva
Journalists @New Vision
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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Mukono municipality have been tipped on growth opportunities.
Apart from business growth tips provided during a two-day training that ended on June 24, 2025, the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in different sectors of the economy were linked to affordable financing.
Ronald Baganda of Treasure Cosmetics Products said, "I have always been manufacturing cosmetic products and looking for customers, but I have never been in any business training. From this session, I learnt the many challenges that constrained me were a lack of business knowledge. Equipped with these skills and access to affordable finance, I will be able to effectively manage and grow my enterprise."
The participants included traders, youth entrepreneurs, agro-processors, ICT service providers, educators and green companies.
Over 450 participants said the mixture of access to business development services and access to affordable financial products and services has ignited their quest for better prospects in their enterprises.
The training organised by Opportunity Bank (U) Ltd, in partnership with Opportunity International, is a collaboration with the Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises (FSMEs) and the SME Academy, with support from Argidius Foundation to implement an MSME Accelerator Programme.
The accelerator programme, a one-year training, aims to accelerate the growth and impact of 2,820 MSMEs in different sectors, including agribusiness, manufacturing, ICT, building and construction and the green economy.
It has previously trained over 2,000 small-scale business owners in areas across Uganda, such as the districts of Kampala, Mubende, Hoima, Soroti, Lira, Masaka and Jinja.
The participants in different sectors and value-chains also shared experiences in areas such as production and marketing to find solutions to their challenges and discover business opportunities.
Johnson Rukara, the programmes and business development manager at Opportunity Bank, said, "From the interactive session with MSMEs, we understand their challenges and work together to build their capacity to move from one step to greater heights."