MTN Ghana Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Blewitt, says the company's new partnership with the University of Ghana is aimed at bridging academia and industry to position Ghana as the epicenter of global digital innovation.

Speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the University, Mr. Blewitt described the collaboration as a natural alliance between two powerful institutions. “It is a great institution with a great history of moving Ghana forward, and that is an important part of why we want to work with you," he said.

He noted that the partnership, which began as a discussion months ago, has matured into a concrete step to support Ghana's digital growth.

This meeting is a step forward in strengthening the bridge between academia and industry. When you put together a powerful digital company like MTN and a powerful academic institution like UG, you can give birth to amazing things," he stated.

Mr. Blewitt highlighted Ghana's immense talent at home and abroad, stressing the need to drive digital transformation beyond tech into agri-tech and infrastructure. He said Artificial Intelligence is no longer optional. “AI is upon us. AI cannot be ignored. Even if you think you don't need AI, AI is somewhere touching your life. We need to, as a country, lead our own destiny when it comes to AI," he said.

The MTN CEO praised UG for shaping future leaders, noting that the world's greatest innovations often started as small ideas in university dormitories. He announced a hackathon under the partnership to move ideas from theory to practice. I like hackathons because they bring theory to practice. We have a problem; we need to find a solution," he said, adding that the initiative will go beyond ideas to mentorship, incubation, pilots and real-world deployment.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said the partnership is critical to preparing students for a rapidly changing world of work. "These two worlds cannot operate separately," she said, noting that MTN operates daily at the frontier of technology.

Prof. Amfo said transformative student experience is UG's first strategic priority and goes beyond lectures. "The real test is whether the education they receive prepares them for the world of work.

That world is changing rapidly as AI, data analytics and digital platforms change jobs and business models," she said. She disclosed that UG is reviewing its Required Courses to introduce compulsory modules in digital literacy, applied AI, gender equality, disability and inclusion.

Chief Digital Officer of MTN Ghana, Ibrahim Misto, said Ghana's youth must lead the AI revolution, not just consume it. "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 (Tɛkyerɛma Pa) AI Hackathon 2026, part of MTN's 30th anniversary celebration under the theme "30 Years of Progress, Power to You," aligns with MTN's focus on connectivity, fintech and digital infrastructure. “At MTN, we believe technology creates value only when it creates impact," Misto said, urging students to "build for impact, not applause," with solutions relevant to Ghana, scalable across Africa, and competitive globally.