By: Edward Adjei Frimpong
MTN Ghana is stepping up efforts to build digital and
artificial intelligence (AI) skills among media practitioners and civil society
organisations as businesses and public-interest institutions increasingly adopt
emerging technologies to improve productivity and information delivery.
The telecommunications company on Monday organised a one-day
hands-on AI training in Accra for about 130 media and civil society practitioners,
focusing on the practical and responsible application of AI in journalism and
public-interest work.
The programme forms part of MTN Ghana’s 30th anniversary
activities and was held under the theme, “Reaching New Heights with Execution
Agility.”
The training reflects the growing importance of digital
capabilities as AI reshapes how organisations conduct research, analyse
information and produce content. Facilitators also highlighted risks including
inaccurate outputs, data-privacy concerns and misuse of AI-generated content,
underscoring the need for human oversight and verification.
This aligns with MTN Ghana’s broader digital-transformation
strategy, which includes investments in network infrastructure, emerging
technologies and digital platforms to support productivity and economic growth.
The company announced plans earlier this year to invest US$1.1 billion in Ghana
over three years to strengthen infrastructure and improve service delivery.
The Acting Senior Manager,
Corporate Communications at MTN Ghana, Efua Falconer, in her welcome remarks
underscored the need for the company to bring its stakeholders along as the
digital landscape evolves rapidly.
She said embracing emerging technologies had become
imperative for people seeking to remain relevant and competitive in their
respective fields.
“It’s very important that, at this point in our lives, we
embrace the technologies that are changing and be abreast with what is
happening around us,” she said.
Ms Falconer expressed confidence that the training would
strengthen participants’ practical understanding of AI and its growing
influence on their work.
For his part, Kwame Manu,
Senior Manager for Digital Analytics and Monetisation at MTN Ghana, said the
company plans to leverage AI and data to help government agencies become more
data-driven in policymaking and public service delivery.
He said responsible data use, privacy, ethics and impact
measurement would be central to such partnerships.
He added that MTN is also
exploring AI applications to combat mobile money fraud by aggregating
fraud-related numbers across platforms, enabling users to verify suspicious
numbers before conducting transactions.
According to Mr Manu, the
approach is intended to strengthen fraud detection and protect customers as
digital transactions expand.
Beyond fraud prevention, MTN Ghana is seeking to develop
young digital talent through partnerships with universities, including the
University of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
He explained that the initiative will identify
high-performing computer science students, including top female students and
those with outstanding AI projects, and engage them in practical AI work during
their national service.
