MTN Ghana foundation wins four awards at sustainability and social impact (SSI) awards
MTN Ghana Foundation, the Corporate Social Investment arm of MTN Ghana has won four awards at the just ended Sustainability and Social Impact (SSI) awards night in Accra. The awards are: Best Company in SSI Project of the year (Socio-Economic), Best Company in Educational Sponsorship Project, Best Company in Economic Empowerment and Best Company in Employee Volunteerism Initiatives. The awards are in recognition for the Foundation’s contribution in delivering on high impact Corporate Social Initiatives and its focus on achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development. Commenting on the awards, the Senior Manager of MTN Ghana Foundation, Mr. Robert Kuzoe said, “The awards are a testament to the impact we are creating in communities across Ghana. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the MTN Ghana Foundation, and these awards set the tone for our anniversary celebrations”. “We dedicate the award to the Foundation Board, the management, the staff of MTN and the beneficiaries of our impactful projects. The Sustainability and Social Investment Awards is an initiative to create awareness about companies doing impactful community improvement projects. It also seeks to encourage companies, CSI/CSR Foundations, NGO’s, and other implementing agencies to deliver high impact CSI/CSR projects that align with Government’s focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The awards also adopt a multi-stakeholder approach that leads to excellent outcomes. This year’s awards were organized under the theme “Leading the Sustainability Transition Through Private-Public Partnerships and Collaboration”. Since its establishment in 2007, the MTN Ghana Foundation has invested USD 64 million in over 158 major projects in the areas of education, health and economic empowerment which are directly impacting an estimated 4 million and several others indirectly. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
MTN Ghana’s Goodwill Message to the Black Stars
Ahead of the first match of Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars, at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar, MTN wishes to commend the Black Stars once again for making it to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Mr. Selorm Adadevoh said, “As the headline sponsor of the Black Stars, we are full of hope about the abilities of our gallant men. We have no doubt that you have put in a lot of effort and undertaken all the necessary preparation. It’s time to put all that practice into action. We will remain your biggest fan every step of the way”. “It’s your time, seize every moment and do what we know you to do best – winning. Get out there and show them how it’s done! Go Ghana! Go Black Stars!’’ he added.Mr. Adadevoh said, ‘’MTN Ghana wishes you the very best in this tournament. Indeed, the cheers are from all corners of the African continent. Having demonstrated our love and commitment to the game, MTN Ghana is proud to be associated with you as you take on the world to make us proud”. MTN Ghana is the headline sponsor of the Black Stars. The company recently signed a sponsorship deal to cover the Black Stars for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the next African Cup of Nations in 2024. As part of activities to drive excitement, MTN customers will receive regular updates from the camp of the Black Stars through its Ayoba Messaging app. As part of the company’s special loyalty package, selected customers will also win tickets to attend some of the matches. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
MTN Ghana launches Science Analytics training to bridge data analytics skills gap
MTN Ghana along with seven other MTN operations earlier today, launched the Data Science Analytics training program. The program forms part of the MTN Skills Academy’s work to promote digital skills for digital jobs, in turn supporting MTN Group’s strategic intent of providing digital solutions for Africa’s progress. To address Africa’s digital skills gap, MTN Group through some of its operating companies is partnering with SAS Training, Courses & Classes to train up to 200 young people in data analytics. Polaris Market Research puts the 2021 value of the global data science platform market at $95 billion and expects it to expand at a compound annual growth rate of more than 27% through to 2030, driven by the increasing data volumes being generated by organisations. “For Africa to realise its full potential, we need to address the lack of skills funding,” says MTN Group Senior Vice President for Markets Ebenezer Asante, adding that eight MTN operating companies had assigned learners to participate in the training that the Group is providing through its partnership with SAS. “Africa has the largest and fastest-growing youth population in the world. While this holds tremendous development promise, youth unemployment statistics remain a cause for major concern. It is only by investing in developing the right skills that we are going to overcome this challenge,” Asante adds. In Ghana, 10 participants who are due for National Service have been selected to benefit from this training program. Each of them has received working tools including monthly data and airtime for the training program. Five out of the 10 participants are MTN scholarship beneficiaries and the other half are national service personnel. To achieve gender balance, five of the participants are females. Essie Mokgonyana, SAS Country Manager & Sales Director for South Africa, says: “We are committed to supporting public and private organisations across Africa to adopt cloud platforms to tap into the full potential of their analytic capabilities and resources to accelerate innovation and higher operational efficiencies. The training initiative consists of a six-week programme, the first part of which is self-paced and the second contains live instructor-led courses. “During this programme, all participants will have full access to SAS® Skill Builder for Students, which includes a repository of resources to help participants learn SAS Data Science skills; from free online courses for certification purposes to exam preparation materials, and practical case studies where participants can learn more about how SAS software solutions are used in the industries they’re interested in and for their career advancement,” says Adesh Nathalal, Education Manager at SAS in South Africa. After the initial six-week programme, half the participants will undergo further training with MTN’s in-house data analytics academy. “This initiative is part of the work of the broader MTN Skills Academy to equip young people with the skills that are in high demand, in turn making them more employable,” says Asante, adding that MTN is committed to closing the skills gap and contributing to youth empowerment wherever we operate. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
MTN to adjust data bundle prices upward
The leading telecommunication network in Ghana MTN has announced that they will be increasing their data bundle prices effective Monday, November 14, 2022. Meanwhile, the information came without any specification on the quantum of the expected upward adjustment. Subscribers of the famous Telecom who spoke to this platform by way of registering their displeasure said they received the message with massive shock because it is not yet known what the company is up to, especially at this difficult moment. Read the full message below: “Dear Valued Customer, kindly be informed that effective 14th November, 2022, data bundle prices will be revised upwards. Enjoy 50% bonus on bundle purchase (4G only) and remember that MTN Data bundles do not expire. Visit www.mtn.com.gh for more information. Thank you”. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us @0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com
MTN injects $2m to support Ghana’s World Cup campaign
The leading mobile telecommunication network in Ghana, MTN has partnered with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to support the Black Stars with $2 million as the Black Stars prepares for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar. The deal is expected to end in January 2024, as it caters for the Black Stars’ participation in the World Cup and the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast. Speaking at a short ceremony, Mr. Mustapha Ussif, the Minister of Youth and Sports (MoYS) expressed excitement about MTN’s continuous support to develop sports in the country. He said, “from the days of Areeba to MTN, the brand has on many occasions supported the Black Stars on its journey to becoming one of the best national teams in the world”. According to him, this was the right time the Black Stars needed support as they embark on a journey to represent Ghana at the Mundial. Mr. Ussif, who is also the Member of Parliament for Yagaba-Kubori said the $2 million support from the telecom giants would boost the confidence of the team to give off their best to achieve the target of winning the World Cup trophy for the first time in Ghana and Africa. “Ghana’s historic qualification and performances at the FIFA World Cup since 2006, have largely been enhanced by the support of corporate Ghana. I am confident that this latest show of faith by MTN will motivate the team to Qatar and beyond,” he said. He commended MTN Ghana for coming on board to support the GFA at a time Ghana is facing financial challenges. Mr. Selorm Adadevoh, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana believes football can be used as a tool to connect with their customers and bring people together. According to him, MTN was committed to sponsoring the senior national team of Ghana, having partnered with the GFA in the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana, and being the headline sponsor of the MTN FA Cup. He disclosed that the sponsorship was engineered by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and other senior members of MTN Ghana. Mr. Adadevoh encouraged Ghanaians to throw their support behind the national team to conquer the rest of the world. Mr. Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, the President of the GFA said, “MTN is the company that seeks the welfare of our people and provides platforms that people will not normally have to develop their God-given talents and to have a decent livelihood.” According to the GFA President, the 26 players who would represent the country at the quadrennial tourney were ready to write their names in the books of Ghana’s football history and assured Ghanaians to expect the best from them. He thanked Mr. Ussif and MTN Ghana for their unflinching support to develop football in Ghana. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to kick off on November 20, 2022, with Ghana paired in Group H alongside Portugal, Uruguay, and South Korea. Source: GNA For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
MTN Ghana grows service revenue by a quarter, despite hit from digital transfer levies
A levy on electronic money transfer services introduced in May hit the contribution to revenue from MTN Ghana’s mobile money business.Like Nigeria, MTN Ghana is in the process of re-registering its customers and unregistered SIM face being blocked from 1 November.Data added the largest contribution to revenue in the mobile operator’s nine months to end-September, growing almost 50%, and the company is in the process of expanding its network. MTN’s Mobile Money (MoMo) service in Ghana is taking a hit from the introduction of a levy on electronic transfers which came into effect in May, with revenue from person-to-person (P2P) transactions slipping by double digits in the mobile operator’s nine months to end September. Ghana’s government has imposed a 1.5% levy on the value of all electronic transfers, including banks, specialised deposit-taking institutions, payment service providers and electronic money issuers, as a means to earn revenue from digital services. The levy is in addition to other applicable charges.null The operator said revenue from P2P transactions declined by 13.3% year-on-year in the three quarters to end September, with the contribution of MoMo to service revenue falling to 19.1% from 22.8% previously. The firm also took a decision to reduce P2P transaction fees by 25% to cushion the effect on its customers. Despite the challenges, active MoMo users increased by 16.3% to 12.4 million, the firm said, and overall, MTN Ghana’s service revenue grew by 27.9% to 7.1 billion cedi (R9.2 billion). Data revenue saw the biggest year-on-year jump at 43.7% to 2.8 billion cedi, with data usage jumping by just over half, and the group growing its data subscribers just over a fifth. Voice revenue increased by 23.4% to 2.4 billion cedi. Mobile subscribers climbed 13% to 28.5 million, and like in Nigeria, MTN Ghana is facing an order by authorities to conduct SIM registration of all customers. It said it had successfully registered 15.2 million subscribers using the Ghana National ID at the end of September 2022, with approximately 5.6 million yet to complete their registration. On 17 October, the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation announced that all services with the exception of USSD services for SIM cards that have not completed registration would be blocked from 1 November 2022. The firm said it was “working with the regulator on their formal directive”. “As a result, MTN will continue to deploy resources and work with the regulator to accelerate re-registration and ensure a speedy completion of the exercise,” it said. MTN Ghana said it spent 1.4 billion cedi (R1.8 billion) during the period to improve the quality of its service and expand its network, and it rolled out 339 2G; 339 3G; 1 081 4G sites; as well as modernised 805 others. This supported the increase in its 4G coverage to 99.3% of the population. —News24— For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
MTN takes cybersecurity education to schools
Telecommunication giant, MTN Ghana has partnered the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) to create awareness on cyber security and its related issues among the youth in the country.The awareness creation, which began at the Labone Senior High School, was to mark National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) to help reduce cybercrimes. As part of the month-long awareness programme, CSA is to collaborate with other relevant stakeholders to undertake a nationwide tour to sensitise people to cyber security-related matters, including regulations, through workshops and seminars. The authority will also engage and partner stakeholders to implement key cyber security regulations and also build the capacity of industry players. The initiative forms part of a five-year National Cyber Security Awareness Programme of the government dubbed: “A safer digital Ghana”. Social responsibility Addressing participants at the forum in Accra on Monday, October 10, the Senior Manager of Enterprise Information Security and Governance at MTN Ghana, Jacqueline Hanson-Kotei, said the decision to partner the authority was part of MTN’s social responsibility to ensure that cyber security issues were brought to the barest minimum in the country. “It is also part of MTN’s commitment to support the CSA to reduce cybercrime. We are in a digital age now and most of our lives are spent on the internet, so I think it is important to raise awareness on cybersecurity issues to make sure that those living their lives online are safe,” she said. Foresight An Assistant Manager at the CSA, Abigail Kakai, commended the management of MTN Ghana for the foresight to help promote the NCSAM. She said there was the need for students to reach out and report all cybercrime cases to the authorities. “The NCSAM is an annual event by authority to intensify capacity building and awareness creation efforts on cybercrime,” he said. Appreciation The Assistant Head Teacher of the Labone Senior High School, Adelaide Boye, expressed appreciation to MTN and the authority for the engagement. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com
100 students benefit from MTN Bright Scholarship Reloaded
MTN Ghana Foundation has presented the first batch of scholarships to 100 students under its Bright Scholarship Reloaded scheme. The first 100 tertiary students received their awards to fund their education at the public universities in the country. MTN Bright Scholarship Reloaded is an enhancement of the MTN Bright Scholarship which was launched in 2018. The scheme aims to assist 300 students with their financial commitments. The awardees are from the University of Ghana, Cape Coast University, University of Health and Allied Science (UHAS), University of Development Studies (UDS), University of Education, Winneba, as well as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. A board member of the MTN Ghana Foundation, Dr Gloria Asare, said the scholarship package, would cover tuition, accommodation, a stipend of GHS 1,150 per semester and a laptop computer to facilitate learning. While the reloaded scheme is open to all, she indicated that, special attention is being given to students pursuing STEM courses, data analytics, robotics, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Dr Asare also added that, the scholarship reloaded scheme would also cater for physically challenged persons interested in pursuing ICT and Computer Science courses. Additionally, she said students who have schooled and lived in the newly created regions such as Bono East, Ahafo, Savannah, Northeast, Western North, and Oti regions would benefit from a special package. “We hope this scholarship reloaded will help ease the financial burden faced by these students and their parents so they may have the peace of mind to complete their education without any major difficulties,” Dr Asare stressed. Dr Asare reminded the beneficiaries that the support they have received from MTN is a vote of confidence in their capabilities, in spite of the peculiar challenges they face in their lives, adding that it therefore behooves them to take full advantage of it and justify why they got the scholarships in the first place. For his part, Education Portfolio Advisor for MTN Ghana Foundation, George Kyei Frimpong, said the beneficiaries have been selected from all public tertiary institutions representing all 16 regions of Ghana. According to him, they have qualified for this award through their impressive academic track record and have shown eagerness to pursue higher levels education. 100 students benefit from MTN Bright Scholarship Reloaded“In keeping with our mission to improve the quality of lives in the communities in which we operate, the MTN Ghana Foundation since its inception has committed itself to providing sustainable projects in health, education, and economic empowerment to improve livelihoods” Mr Frimpong stated. Beneficiaries of the scholarship reloaded programme thanked MTN Ghana for investing in their future and promised to make them proud. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana
Ghc 64 million invested in sustainable community project–MTN Ghana
MTN Ghana has confirmed they spent GHC64 million in sustainable community projects across the country. This was made known by the Chief Sales and Distribution officer Mr. Shaibu Haruna on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, during the 2022 Upper East Media Editor’s forum in Bolgatanga the Regional Capital. According to Mr. Haruna, “The projects include education, health, economic empowerment, and community initiatives. He believes, MTN can only be excited when the communities and ecosystems in which it operates are healthy. “In all we do, we strive to leverage our core capabilities to enable the socio-economic development of the communities within which we operate”. He said, in 2022 over Ghc 20 million is approved to continue their commitment to completing some specific projects and community support initiatives across the country. Source: Apexnewsgh.com For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Ghana: MTN Introduces EVD for Pre-Paid Customers
MTN Ghana has introduced an Electronic Voucher Distribution (EVD) Denomination Change to enable pre-paid customers who purchase airtime from retailers to receive the same value purchased. The EVD Denomination change initiative will prevent retailers from overcharging customers for purchasing electronic credit transfer. MTN customers can visit any EVD vendor (credit transfer agent) to purchase airtime and the same amount will be electronically transferred to the customer. Following the implementation of the EVD Denomination Change, credit transfer can only be purchased from 0.5Gp and in multiples of GH¢1 up to GH¢500. The system will not allow retailers to reduce the value of the airtime and charge customers more for it. Commenting on the initiative, in a statement issued in Accra yesterday the Chief Sales and Distribution Officer of MTN Ghana, ShaibuHaruna, said “As a customer-centric company, we are committed to providing distinct customer experience in every facet of our business. This issue of EVD price disparity has been a challenge and impacted our customer experience especially when MTN stopped printing recharge vouchers due to the COVID-19 pandemic”. “We have our customers at heart, and we are always working to find innovative solutions that address issues that pose a challenge to them. We strongly believe the introduction of the EVD Denomination Change will prevent over pricing and reduce EVD pricing complaints,” he added. The statement cautioned vendors against charging extra fees for EVD transactions because their fees were already built into the system and encourages customers to insist on the amount they purchase. The Electronic Voucher Distribution (EVD) popularly known as “Credit Transfer” in the Ghanaian market allows customers to top up (recharge) their accounts electronically for voice calls, data bundles or SMS. Source: GhanainTimes For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com