MTN’s Ebenezer Asante Urges African Graduates to Lead the Continent’s Digital Transformation
Senior Vice President of MTN Group, Mr. Ebenezer Asante, has urged African graduates to embrace technology-driven innovation as a national and continental responsibility, stressing that Africa’s progress depends on young people who are willing to create solutions rather than merely consume them. He made the call when he addressed the 2025 graduating class of Accra Technical University (ATU), celebrated under the theme “Emerging Technologies: How Prepared is the ATU Graduate?”
In a thought-provoking message, Mr. Asante challenged the graduates to take ownership of Africa’s digital destiny. He described the modern graduate as someone expected not just to understand technology but to shape its development with vision, intention, and a strong sense of community. According to him, the continent’s prosperity will depend on graduates bold enough to design innovations that respond directly to Africa’s unique developmental needs.
Citing data from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), he expressed concern about Africa’s declining contribution to global patent registrations. Although the continent represents more than 18 percent of the world’s population, its share of patent filings dropped from 4.4 percent a decade ago to 3.2 percent in 2023. To reverse this, he called for stronger collaboration among universities, policymakers, private sector leaders, and investors. He stressed that Africa’s ability to tackle its complex challenges hinges on building a vibrant innovation ecosystem that supports research, invention, and technology commercialization.
Referencing futurist thinkers Alvin Toffler and Professor Akosua Ampofo, Mr. Asante emphasized that Africa’s competitiveness in the digital age rests on its youth’s readiness to continuously learn, unlearn, and relearn. He said the graduates who will make the greatest impact are those who combine technical expertise with creativity, emotional intelligence, and teamwork — attributes he described as indispensable in today’s innovation-driven world.
He encouraged the graduates to cultivate a growth mindset, reminding them that personal resilience, adaptability, and mental flexibility often matter more than academic qualifications alone. He urged them to embrace uncertainty as part of the journey toward innovation, adding that meaningful breakthroughs come to individuals who persevere even when their paths seem unclear.
Turning to practical opportunities, Mr. Asante highlighted the enormous potential of technology to address challenges in sanitation, healthcare, agriculture, education, and energy. He applauded the work of The Buz Stop Boys — a Ghanaian youth-led sanitation initiative — as an example of how local innovation can create measurable social change. He urged graduates to apply their training to build IoT-enabled waste management platforms, data-driven solutions for municipal authorities, and robotics or drone systems capable of improving waste collection and urban cleanliness.
He also spoke about the shifting landscape of global employment, noting that digital technologies now allow African youth to work for international companies without crossing borders. Opportunities in freelancing, digital entrepreneurship, remote work, and software development continue to expand, powered by artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital financial platforms such as Mobile Money (MoMo). He encouraged the graduates to take advantage of these global opportunities to develop careers that contribute to Africa’s transformation.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Asante called on the graduates to support Ghana’s national digitalization agenda and advance the broader vision of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. He said the future of the continent rests in the hands of young people who are prepared to think boldly, innovate with purpose, and champion sustainable digital progress.
—ENDS—
Media Contacts
Adwoa Wiafe
Chief Corporate Services & Sustainability Officer
Georgina Asare Fiagbenu
Corporate Communications Senior Manager
Email: mtnghana.mediaoffice@mtn.com
About MTN Ghana
MTN Ghana is the leading mobile telecommunications company in the country, offering a broad range of voice, data, and digital financial services to millions of subscribers. As part of the MTN Group — a major telecommunications player in emerging markets — the company is committed to delivering a bold and modern digital experience to its customers. MTN Ghana’s operations are anchored in the belief that every individual deserves access to the benefits of a connected life. Scancom PLC, operators of MTN Ghana, is listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The company’s strategic focus, Ambition 2025, seeks to drive digital solutions that accelerate Africa’s progress.
