At the heart of MTN Ghana’s vision for a digitally empowered Africa lies a bold commitment to equipping young people with the skills needed to shape the continent’s future.
To achieve this, the company continues to roll out strategic investments and programs aimed at deepening digital inclusion and innovation.
Speaking at the annual MTN Editor’s Forum in Tamale, CEO Stephen Blewett stated: “The next big digital innovation can and must come from Africa, and we need to give our young people the opportunity and skills to achieve this.”
He highlighted initiatives such as the MTN Skills Academy, the One Million Coders Program, and the voice navigation feature in the MyMTNApp as core to MTN’s digital agenda. He also noted the company’s targeted support for women entrepreneurs through the MTN Adwumapa bundle, which is designed to enhance connectivity, market access, and capacity building for women-led small and medium enterprises.
Blewett revealed that MTN Ghana has invested over US$1 billion into network infrastructure over the past five years, with an additional US$300 million earmarked for 2025. These funds will support the expansion of the fibre optic networks, deployment of advanced 4G technology, and improvements in fibre-to-home services to meet growing customer demand.
“By the end of the year, about 300 more MTN Connect Stores will be added across the country to ease congestion and improve service delivery,” he said adding that 400 new staff would be recruited to support the expansion.
However, Blewett warned about the increasing threat of fibre cuts, which he described as significant obstacle to delivering consistent telecom services.
“We experience an average of nearly four fibre cuts a day across Ghana. This is unprecedented. It’s hurting our customers, disrupting mobile money services, internet access, and overall connectivity,” he lamented.
He urged the public and stakeholders to treat fibre infrastructure as critical national infrastructure that must be safeguarded.
In addition to digital transformation, Blewett reaffirmed MTN’s commitment to environmental sustainability. The company has achieved a 17.5% reduction in carbon emissions over the past five years through green solutions including 2.4MW solar capacity and energy-efficient switching centres.
Through the MTN Ghana Foundation, the company continues to make a strong social impact in healthcare, education and economic empowerment with interventions such as STEM Scholarships, ICT Centres and the MTN Bright Scholarship Programme.
“Our investment is about more than profits. It’s about connecting people, enriching lives and building a sustainable future,” Blewett emphasized.
Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, also addressed the forum and reiterated MTN’s dedication to listening to stakeholders and responding to community feedback.
“Many of the issues raised today are also emerging in our community engagements across the north. We are listening and will act on them,” she assured.
Wiafe acknowledged sector-wide challenges such as mobile money fraud and agent protection, adding that MTN is working with regulators and industry partners through the Ghana Telecommunications Chamber to strengthen systems and responses.
“Because we serve more customers, the problems often seem to fall more heavily on MTN. But we are working collaboratively to address them,” she noted.
She commended the media for their ongoing engagement and pledged visible improvements in the coming months.
The forum opened with a welcome address by Nii Adotey Mingle, General Manager for MTN Business in the Northern Sector. He stressed the importance of a strong partnership with the media in advancing MTN’s goals.
“At MTN, we encourage open dialogue, transparency and collaboration. Your role in shaping public discourse is invaluable and today’s engagement shows how much we value that partnership,” Mingle said.
He praised the participation of journalists from the Northern, Upper East, North East and Savannah Regions, and highlighted the North’s rich culture, innovation and potential.
“This forum is designed not only to share updates but to hear from you, our media partners. The real impact happens when we work together and engage meaningfully,” he concluded.
Source: KumasiMail.Com/Joseph Ziem
