MTN Group has announced a significant $1.1 billion investment in Ghana over the next three years, a move that underscores the country’s growing importance to the telecom giant’s African portfolio. The commitment was revealed by MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita during a media engagement in Accra last Friday.
The substantial capital injection will primarily target the expansion of digital infrastructure, with a focus on enhancing service quality and deepening broadband penetration across the country.
“We already have 5,000 sites where we have telecommunications equipment that connect our customers here in Ghana. Just this year alone, we’re going to add another 500,” Mr. Mupita stated, outlining the immediate plans for network expansion.
Ghana Joins Elite Rank
Citing its robust performance and promising long-term prospects, Mr. Mupita confirmed that MTN Ghana will be officially classified as the group’s third “major subsidiary” this year. This places the Ghana operation on par with the company’s flagship businesses in South Africa and Nigeria.
“Up until the end of last year, we’ve had two major subsidiaries… South Africa and Nigeria. This year, we are adding Ghana as the third major subsidiary for the whole group, purely as a function of the way it has performed and the potential that we see going forward,” he explained.
Further solidifying its status, Mr. Mupita disclosed that MTN Ghana was recognized as the top-performing operating company across the entire group in 2025, winning an internal competition designed to reward strategic execution and innovation.
Strategic Engagements and Focus Areas
During his visit, the MTN Group CEO engaged with key government and regulatory stakeholders. Discussions with the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam George, centered on improving network performance and the potential release of 5G spectrum to bolster connectivity for homes and businesses.
Meetings were also held with the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC). At the central bank, talks focused on strengthening collaboration to combat fraud and scams in the rapidly growing mobile money sector. Mr. Mupita announced the group would deploy artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its ability to detect and prevent such financial crimes.
The company identified the digital economy and fintech as its primary growth engines. On mobile money, Mr. Mupita signaled an intention to introduce more advanced financial services while working closely with regulators to support national financial inclusion targets.
Beyond core telecom infrastructure, MTN expressed interest in partnering with the government on fibre optic expansion, data centre development, and digital skills training for youth. Mr. Mupita highlighted a recent $2 million commitment by MTN Ghana to youth coding programs and voiced strong support for nurturing local digital content creation.
“There’s a lot of talent in this country. How do we leverage the digital economy to create a platform for that talent — to build their own creative content they can sell and build businesses around,” he said.
Resilience Amidst Economic Challenges
Ebenezer Asante, Senior Vice-President of MTN Group, underscored the resilience of the Ghanaian operation, noting its ability to withstand significant macroeconomic turbulence over the past decade, including high inflation, currency depreciation, and domestic debt restructuring. He stated that the business has deliberately adapted its financial and operational models to manage these shocks while continuing to invest and deliver value.
Drawing a parallel with India’s rapid digital leapfrog, Mr. Mupita expressed confidence in Ghana’s potential. “Nothing stops Ghana from being able to leapfrog its own ambitions by a decade by deploying the digital economy and digital infrastructure going forward,” he concluded.
