MTN-UG partnership to strengthen digital skills and youth employability – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has welcomed a new partnership between MTN Ghana and the University of Ghana, describing it as a major step towards strengthening digital skills, STEM education and youth employability.

Speaking at the MTN Ghana–University of Ghana partnership signing ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, September 2, Dr. Apaak said Ghana’s higher education system must increasingly focus on practical digital skills to prepare young people for the demands of the modern economy.

“The global economy is rapidly pivoting around digital innovation, data systems and artificial intelligence,” he said.

“For Ghana to capture this value and build a resilient, future-ready workforce, higher education must move beyond theoretical foundations to direct, applied digital skills development.”

Dr. Apaak, who represented the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, said the partnership demonstrated the type of industry-academia collaboration needed to strengthen STEM education and position Ghana to compete in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.

He said the collaboration would deliver three major interventions aimed at bridging the gap between classroom instruction and industry demand.

These include the MTN Ghana Digital Excellence Awards to recognise high-performing Computer Science students and connect them to practical tools, National Service placements and opportunities within Ghana’s technology sector.

The partnership will also introduce the Tɛkyerɛma Pa Hackathon, which Dr. Apaak said would challenge students to develop technology-driven solutions to real socio-economic problems.

“Today’s partnership demonstrates the kind of industry-academia collaboration required to strengthen STEM education, deepen youth employability, and position Ghana to compete more effectively in an increasingly technology-driven economy,” he stated.

He added that the Ministry of Education remained committed to creating policies that would encourage the private sector to invest in academic institutions.

“As Government, we see partnerships of this nature as essential to building a stronger bridge between education, innovation, industry and national development,” Dr Apaak said.

He urged students and young innovators who would benefit from the initiative to use the opportunities to develop practical solutions and enterprises.

“The responsibility now rests on you to build applications, algorithms and enterprises that solve pressing national challenges, and position Ghana as a competitive participant in the global digital economy.”