MTN, UG partner to develop Ghana’s digital talent
Computer science students at the University of Ghana (UG) will have the opportunity to turn ideas developed in lecture halls into market-ready products under a new partnership between MTN Ghana and the university.
The partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at MTN House in Accra, seeks to strengthen Ghana’s digital talent pipeline through the MTN Ghana Digital Excellence Awards and the Tɛkyɛrɛma Pa AI Hackathon.
The initiative will give students access to real-world business challenges, industry mentors and technology to develop solutions, with promising ideas receiving support to move from prototypes to deployment.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Mr Stephen Blewett, said the partnership was aimed at creating opportunities for Ghana’s young people to develop solutions that could contribute to the country’s digital economy.
“This meeting together now is a step forward in strengthening the bridge between academia and industry to support the growth of Ghana’s digital future,” he said.
Mr Blewett said Ghana already had the talent needed to drive its digital transformation, but what was often missing was a strong link between academia and industry.
He said many promising ideas ended as final-year projects instead of being developed into products that could address real-world problems.
According to him, the Tɛkyɛrɛma Pa AI Hackathon would expose students to live business and social challenges and give them practical experience that could shape their careers and, in some cases, lead to the creation of businesses.
“I like hackathons because a hackathon brings theory to practice. That is the principle of a hackathon – we have a problem, we need to find a solution,” he said.
The Chief Digital Officer of MTN Ghana, Mr Ibrahim Misto, said the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) meant that young Ghanaians needed to play an active role in shaping the technology.
“Today we are making a clear statement that Ghana’s young people must not simply consume the AI revolution; they must help build it, shape it, and lead it,” he said.
The Tɛkyɛrɛma Pa Hackathon will challenge participants to develop solutions to everyday problems faced by Ghanaians, including challenges affecting underserved communities and people who use local languages.
The Vice Chancellor of UG, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said the partnership would give students practical exposure that could not be provided by classroom learning alone.
She said it would expose students to how technology was developed, commercialised and scaled in a real business environment.
Prof. Amfo said the partnership would also provide opportunities for internships, national service placements, industry visits, masterclasses, joint research and innovation challenges.
She said such opportunities would improve graduates’ prospects of securing employment after school.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, commended the partnership, describing it as the kind of collaboration between government, academia and industry needed to strengthen Ghana’s digital skills base.
He said young people trained in technologies being used by employers would enter the job market better prepared to work and compete for opportunities both locally and internationally.
Dr Apaak urged the partners to focus on measurable outcomes, including employable skills, locally relevant research and innovations that addressed national development challenges.
He also encouraged other educational institutions and companies to adopt similar partnerships.
The Digital Excellence Awards will recognise outstanding young technologists in categories including Best Graduating Computer Science Student, Best Graduating Female Computer Science Student and Best Artificial Intelligence-related Project.
The awards are also expected to provide role models for young people, particularly women considering careers in technology.
The collaboration comes as MTN Ghana marks 30 years of operations in the country and reflects the company’s broader focus on developing digital skills alongside its investment in telecommunications infrastructure.
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