The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, has made a passionate call for the support and nurturing of digital innovation in Africa, stating that the next big breakthrough in the digital world “can and must come from Africa.”
Speaking at the MTN Editors and Stakeholders Forum held in Tamale, Mr. Blewett emphasized the urgent need to equip African youth with cutting-edge digital skills to compete on the global tech stage. The forum brought together journalists and media stakeholders from the Northern, Savannah, Upper West, North East, and Upper East regions.
“There’s no reason why the next Instagram, Facebook, or major digital platform can’t originate from here,” he stated. “We always import digital innovations—why not export them instead?”
Mr. Blewett mentioned MTN’s ongoing initiatives aimed at driving digital inclusion, such as the MTN Skills Academy, which focuses on training young Africans in coding, web development, data analytics, and more. He also reiterated MTN’s pioneering role in Ghana’s One Million Coder Project, in partnership with the Ministry of Communications, to build AI and coding proficiency among the country’s youth.
“These initiatives aren’t just about skills development. They’re about rewriting the story of Africa’s place in the digital future,” Blewett added.
In addition to its digital training efforts, MTN has launched a year-long SME empowerment initiative. A key feature of this program is the MTN Adwumapa package, specially tailored for women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This initiative provides access to networking platforms, capacity-building opportunities, and markets—empowering female entrepreneurs in both the formal and informal sectors.
“SMEs are the lifeblood of Ghana’s economy,” Mr. Blewett noted. “When you walk just outside this hotel, you’ll see the backbone of the economy in action. That’s why MTN is committed to supporting SMEs with the tools they need to thrive.”
The MTN Editors and Stakeholders Forum served as a platform to deepen relationships with the media and engage stakeholders on the company’s strategic vision for digital and economic transformation in Ghana.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Tamale
