By Denis Peprah, GNA
Sunyani, May 25, GNA – Having already employed 15 000 people, representing 74 different nationalities and ethnicities in 19 markets, mobile telecommunication giant MTN has reaffirmed its commitment to helping to unlock the enormous potentials of the African Continent.
The company, on the occasion of Africa Day, endorsed African unity and said Africa’s future would be defined by what it collectively chose to build.
“The unity of Africans is the strongest foundation off which to secure a prosperous future for Africa’s youth, who will represent the world’s largest workforce by 2040,” a statement in Sunyani, copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said.
Africa Day is celebrated annually on May 25th to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now African Union, in 1963, symbolising African unity, liberation and progress.
The statement, issued and signed by Lesego Puso, the Senior Manager, MTN Group External Communications to mark the AU Day said, “Looking ahead, Africa’s future will be defined by what we choose to build together and when Africans act with greater unity, shared purpose and collective resolve, we lay the foundation for.”
Quoting Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and the first Prime Minister of a post –colonial African nation, that, “I am not African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me,” the MTN reminded Africans of the fundamental cultural connection of being African .
The statement said, ”At MTN, “we celebrate Africa Day as a pan-African company both born on the continent and one that is inherently African and we are a diverse group that serves a quarter of a billion customers-from families and friends to communities and business-across this vast continent we call home”.
According to the statement, “of the 1,730 people who joined MTN and our subsidiaries in 2025, 87 percent were local, employed in the countries from which they originate”.
It quoted Mr Ralph Mupita, the MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer saying that, “Our Pan-African roots run deep, and today we are humbled and proud to acknowledge these,”
It added: “Our continent has enormous potential, and we are committed to helping unlock this through our networks and platforms.”
Mr Mupita said the MTN’s purpose was to lead digital solutions for Africa’s progress, adding that, the “continent has much to gain from this demographic dividend.”
“We are humbled to help create opportunities and economic value. In 2025, we generated a massive R150 billion in economic value-added across our continent, where our total tax contribution was R61.1 billion-more than the GDP of some small countries,” the MTN ‘s said.’
The statement said the company’s capital expenditure of R38.5 billion in 2025 reflected the sustained investment in the physical and digital assets that underpin connectivity.
Investing at scale helps develop durable national infrastructure, building national digital” backbones.
Through the distribution of dividends to the shareholders including pension funds of MTN Group and subsidiaries across our markets, we unlock value for millions.
It added that,: “As part of our commitment to being a good corporate citizen, we also make significant corporate social investments. In 2025, these totaled R269 million, benefiting 2.3 million people, most of them youth”.
“We believe in the power of technology to uplift communities, empowering the next generation of African leaders. We embed local participation across employment, ownership and procurement”.
That includes investing in skills development and supporting the growth of local businesses, ensuring economic value is retained and multiplied within host economies.
“Our success is irrevocably tied to the progress of the nation’s we serve and together, we create jobs, develop local suppliers, build digital skills and support essential services like education, healthcare and infrastructure,” Mupita, stated.
He added that MTN’s listings on the stock markets in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Rwanda were critical levers in MTN’s localisation and value-creation journey.
“We’ve made it our goal to drive digital and financial inclusion, giving the people in the communities we serve dignity, hope and opportunity. Africa needs to chart and champion her own growth. It is up to us all to unlock Africa’s boundless potential”, he said.
“Looking ahead, Africa’s future will be defined by what we choose to build together and when Africans act with greater unity, shared purpose and collective resolve, we lay the foundation for the Africa we want: more inclusive, more resilient and more prosperous”, the statement added.
“Ours is the youngest continent on earth, and within that youthful energy lies one of our greatest opportunities. If we invest with intent in education, skills, entrepreneurship and meaningful work, we can turn this demographic reality into a lasting dividend for generations to come”, it explained.
The statement said that, “Digital technology will be one of the great catalysts of that future and by connecting more people, expanding access to financial services, education, healthcare and markets, and giving young innovators the tools to solve African challenges with African insight, technology can help unlock progress at scale.”
It added that with sustained investment in digital infrastructure, digital skills and trusted platforms.
“We can help build a continent that is more connected, more competitive, and full of possibility-a confident Africa, shaping its own destiny in the digital age,” the statement said.
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading digital operator whose purpose is leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress and is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code ‘MTN’.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Dennis Peprah
[email protected]