Selorm Adadevoh, the chief executive officer of MTN Ghana, has reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s quest to build a digital economy by investing in technology infrastructure.
Speaking at a dinner for external stakeholders to climax MTN Ghana’s 25th-anniversary celebrations, Adadevoh said the firm has already pledged to invest over US$1 billion in infrastructure and information systems over the next five years, starting this year.
“We see Ghana as the most strategically placed country to be a digital hub in the region, exporting skills and services to diversify and accelerate GDP growth. This makes technology leadership in the region an imperative for Ghanaian SMEs to be relevant in an AfCFTA era,” he said.
He also announced MTN’s support for the government’s ICT development initiatives which MTN is giving effect by providing an ICT hub and establishing West Africa’s first Innovation City in Ghana.
Besides supporting digital initiatives, the MTN Ghana Foundation will undertake two legacy projects by building a modern, 60-bed maternity and neonatal centre for Keta Municipal Hospital at a cost of GHC9 million and investing GHC1.2 million in setting up a Stem robotics laboratory for the Mamfe Methodist Girls’ School and surrounding communities in Akuapem.
The senior advisor to the president, Yaw Osafo Maafo, who represented Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, commended MTN for its investment in the telecommunications industry. He called on the organisation to extend its services to support the Ministry of Education.
“What plans has MTN got to assist our Ministry of Education to make a success of digitalisation in education?” Osafo-Maafo asked. He therefore appealed to MTN to think through and open discussions with the ministry “on this crusade”.
Believe in Ghana, invest in Ghana
In a speech read on her behalf by the deputy communications minister, the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, described MTN@25 as a beautiful story.
“The next chapter of this story should be one of collaboration,” she said. “MTN’s success should be the engine that drives the collective and sustainable growth of the entire industry to achieve Ghana’s digitalisation agenda.”
Owusu-Ekuful expressed Ghanaians’ appreciation to the MTN Group for believing in Ghana and consistently investing in the country over the years.
MTN launched its 25th-anniversary celebration in June this year and has marked the celebration with various activities, including customer promotions, stakeholder engagements, support for government ICT projects as well as entertainment and sports activities across Ghana.
Notable among the personalities who graced the stakeholder anniversary dinner were: the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, the deputy communications minister Ama Pomaa Boateng and the deputy education minister John Ntim Fordjour. Other well-known figures present were Cynthia Mamle Morrison, the MP for Agona West and chairperson of the parliamentary select committee on communications; the MCE for Korle Klottey, Samuel Nii Adjei Sowah; the chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr Ishmael Yamson, and other board members.
Also present were board members of the MTN Ghana Foundation, and the chief executive officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Ing Kenneth Ashigbey.
Other stakeholders were a former president of the Ghana Journalists Association, as well as MTN business partners, distributors, suppliers and members of the media.
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