MTN Group Senior Vice President Ebenezer Asante challenged African graduates to become technology creators rather than consumers during Accra Technical University’s graduation ceremony on December 5.
Asante addressed 2,771 graduates at the 25th congregation ceremony themed Emerging Technologies: How Prepared is the ATU Graduate. He called for stronger partnerships between academia, government, and industry to develop innovators capable of shaping Africa’s technological future. The MTN executive emphasized that African youth must take initiative in driving the continent’s digital transformation.
According to Asante, citing the World Intellectual Property Organization 2023 Report, Africa’s share of global technology patent filings declined from 4.4 percent a decade ago to 3.2 percent in 2023, despite the continent representing over 18 percent of global population. This statistic highlights urgent needs for improved collaboration among universities, private sector players, investors, and policymakers to boost research and industrial technology application.
Asante told graduates that success in the digital age requires continuous learning, unlearning, and relearning. He stated the most successful graduates will combine technical skills with creativity, empathy, and teamwork. The executive emphasized that psychological and behavioral flexibility matters more than academic qualifications alone for achieving breakthroughs.
The MTN leader highlighted practical applications of technology across sanitation, healthcare, agriculture, education, and energy sectors. He cited The Buz Stop Boys, a youth-led initiative addressing urban sanitation in Ghana, as an example of civic-minded innovation. Asante challenged graduates to develop IoT-enabled waste management systems, smart city solutions, and robotics or drone technologies for waste collection and urban hygiene improvement.
Reflecting on employment changes, Asante noted technology enables young people to work globally without relocating. He encouraged graduates to pursue freelancing, digital entrepreneurship, and hybrid work opportunities using platforms powered by artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital payment systems including Mobile Money.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu urged ATU management to upgrade curriculum to meet global standards during the ceremony. Iddrisu challenged graduates to create their own jobs rather than rely solely on government employment. He stated the foundation received from ATU should empower graduates to excel in workspaces as future captains of industry, ministers, members of parliament, and job creators.
Acting Vice Chancellor Amevi Acakpovi reported ATU recorded an 80 percent increase in peer-reviewed publications and secured 4.5 million dollars in competitive research grants. The university strengthened international collaborations across Germany, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. ATU hosted its maiden Applied Research Conference attracting over 250 research presentations, with proceedings set for publication by Springer Nature.
Asante concluded by calling on graduates to contribute actively to advancing Ghana’s national digitalization agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Both initiatives envision an integrated and prosperous Africa driven by innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability. Gloria Sarfo, the overall best graduating student, acknowledged the journey balancing work and education proved challenging but achievable.
MTN Ghana operates as market leader in the mobile telecommunications industry, offering subscribers options under Pay As You Go, Pay Monthly, and Mobile Financial Services. The company forms part of MTN Group, which serves as a leading emerging market operator with a vision to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.
