Selorm Adadevoh, CEO, MTN Ghana.

MTN Ghana has announced the construction of a $25 million ICT hub in Accra, aimed at creating jobs and drive socio-economic development in the West African country.

The telco held a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday, revealing details of the Ghana ICT Hub project, saying the initiative is MTN’s commitment towards supporting the Digital Ghana Agenda.

The Ghana ICT Hub will sit on 4 000 square metres of land, and will be the first of its kind in the West Africa sub region, with the aim of training over 200 000 people with ICT skills and generate over 100 000 jobs during the first three years post-completion, said MTN.

The details of the project, shared yesterday, show that the Ghana ICT Hub will have laboratories for technology training and research, an innovation hub, co-working spaces for tech innovation start-ups, and a Tier 3 data centre.

According to MTN, the technology laboratories will be fitted with next generation ICT equipment and applications to provide the youth of Ghana with practical training in fourth-industrial-revolution industry technologies, such as machine learning, cloud computing, 3D printing, robotics, Internet of Things, advanced manufacturing techniques, cyber security and genetic engineering.

Selorm Adadevoh, CEO, MTN Ghana, said: “The Ghana ICT Hub aims to develop an ICT ecosystem in the areas of health, agriculture and education, through on-site and remote access delivery to facilitate skills development and job creation for the youth in Ghana.

“Our investment in the Ghana ICT Hub, among other ground-breaking digital and ICT focused initiatives and interventions, goes to show that MTN is at the heart of accelerating national development and socio-economic development.”

Adadevoh added that the Ghana ICT Hub is part of the broader Ghana Innovation Hub project, which also includes the ‘Accra Innovation City’ Project and The Ghana Education Platform project.

When completed, he said, the Ghana ICT Hub will become the ‘fulcrum of human capital and ICT skills development, accelerate Ghana’s ICT ecosystem, and facilitate job creation and continue to set the pace in ICT and telecommunications infrastructure development’.

Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the honoured guest at the ceremony, said: “The decision by MTN to build an ICT hub in Ghana – as part of its 25th anniversary – and to support Ghana in realising its digital agenda is very commendable. MTN’s commitment to be at the frontier of championing digital innovation in Ghana is worthy of emulation.

“The establishment of the Ghana ICT Hub will facilitate the paradigm shift needed to accelerate Ghana’s progress with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.”