MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett has made a compelling case for Africa’s future as the next epicentre of global digital innovation.

Speaking at the 2025 MTN Ghana Editors’ Forum in Tamale, which brought together media professionals from the Northern, Savannah, North East, and Upper East Regions, Mr Blewett confidently stated, “The next great development in the digital world can and must come from Africa. There is no reason for it not to come from here. Why do we always have to get everything that comes from somewhere else? Why can’t the next Instagram, Facebook, or whatever you want to think about come from here?”

His remarks underscored a firm belief that Africa, with its youthful population and growing appetite for technology, holds the potential to lead the next wave of digital transformation. With the right skills and support, he said, African youth can become global tech innovators.

To realise this vision, Mr Blewett stressed the importance of equipping the next generation with the necessary technological skills. He noted MTN’s support for Ghana’s government-led “1000 Codes Project”, aimed at training young people in coding and artificial intelligence (AI).

“There is every opportunity for the next digital developer to come from Africa. But to make this work, people need to have the skills,” he said, adding that initiatives like the 1000 Codes Project are critical to building a future-ready digital workforce. “Africa needs to believe in itself,” he added, reflecting MTN’s broader commitment to youth empowerment and digital inclusion.

Massive Investments in Network Expansion

Alongside human capital development, MTN is also making massive investments in physical infrastructure to support digital growth. According to Mr Blewett, MTN Ghana has spent $1 billion over the past five years to enhance its network capabilities, with $240 million earmarked for 2025 alone.

“For the country over the last five years, including this year, we have spent one billion dollars on the network. Now, often people ask us how you operate your network successfully. The secret is simple: you have to keep spending, and it’s one of the challenges because you are always spending. The day you stop spending is the day you have challenges. This year alone, we will spend 240 million dollars, and we are planning to go beyond that.”
Stephen Blewett

MTN has deployed over 5,000 new sites nationwide and boasts that 87.5% of its data is now carried on 4G technology. Investments have also gone into fibre infrastructure to enhance resilience and improve 4G capacity.

Despite these advancements, Mr Blewett pointed out a recurring challenge threatening connectivity: fibre cuts. He lamented the disruptions caused by such incidents, stating, “Fibre cuts are a massive plague on our business. We were in a meeting yesterday, and I was shocked that we have an average of 4 fibre cuts per day.”

He emphasised the need for national support to combat this issue and expressed hope in the ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Communications. According to him, fibre cuts not only impede MTN’s operations but also damage the nation’s communication backbone, affecting businesses and individual users alike.

A Rising Wave of Political Repression

In a related development concerning digital and civic freedoms in Africa, neighbouring Tanzania is currently experiencing political unrest. Martha Karua, a former Kenyan justice minister and opposition figure, has reportedly been detained in Tanzania alongside lawyer Gloria Kimani and human rights activist Lynn Ngugi. Karua’s spokesperson told AFP that she was interrogated for three hours and had her passport seized.

The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition condemned the detentions, labelling them “arbitrary arrests” and has since mobilised legal efforts for their release. Karua was in Tanzania to observe court proceedings involving Tundu Lissu, the main opposition Chadema party leader, who has been jailed on treason charges.

Lissu, who previously survived an assassination attempt, was arrested in April after holding a rally under the slogan “No Reforms, No Election.” Since then, his party has been barred from participating in the upcoming October elections, further fuelling concerns over the country’s democratic processes.

While tech leaders like MTN’s Stephen Blewett push for Africa’s digital future, events in Tanzania remind the continent of the ongoing struggle for democratic space. For Africa to truly become a hub of innovation, it must invest not only in skills and infrastructure but also in protecting the freedoms that enable creative expression and enterprise. As Mr Blewett aptly put it, “Africa needs to believe in itself.” The road to digital leadership begins with that belief—and the structures to support it.