Girls in ICT 2024: MTN partners Communications Ministry to train 1,000 girls; pledges continued support
Leading telecommunications company, MTN Ghana has pledged its continued support for the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation to train more Girls in ICT.
Girls in ICT is an initiative of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation to support the education of women and girls in ICT in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 which is aimed at achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls through ICTs.
The first two Girls in ICT celebrations were held in Accra in 2012 and 2013.
Since 2017, the celebration has been expanded, leading to the training of close to 14,000 girls.
MTN, a partner of the Ministry since 2021 has invested GHS15.6 million to help the programme run.
Through its investments, MTN has contributed to the training of 9,000 girls and 900 teachers in basic ICT skills such as coding, website design, game development and animation development.
The regions covered so far are North-East, Western-North, Ahafo, Bono-East, Bono, Savannah, Northern, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions.
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Wednesday, July 10, on the sidelines of the climax of this year’s Girls in ICT training in the Greater Accra Region, Madam Adwoa Wiafe, the Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer of MTN stressed that the company is keen on supporting the training of more girls.
She noted that this year, MTN is supporting the training of 1,000 girls and 100 teachers.
“We believe that everyone deserves the benefit of a modern connected life so connectivity and inclusion are matters that we champion and this is exactly what the programme seeks to do. Education girls in ICT all across the country. This is something that we believe in because MTN believes in leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress so anything that deals with leadership, inclusion, and innovation in ICT is something that we support.
“We are here to support the Ministry and in this programme because it’s something that’s dear to MTN and these are issues we champion daily. We will continue supporting this programme as long as we can,” Madam Adwoa Wiafe said.
Support for Girls in ICT Trust:
Speaking on the launch of Girls in ICT Trust by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, Madam Adwoa Wiafe disclosed that MTN Ghana plans to engage the Ministry to look at ways it can support.
“We understand that the Ministry is going to transform this into a Trust and so we will have a discussion with the Ministry to see where the Ministry intends to take that and we will decide how we go on from here with the Ministry and the programme,” Madam Adwoa Wiafe said.
Minister’s remarks
Speaking at the climax of this year’s Girls in ICT training in the Greater Accra Region, the Minister in charge of Communications and Digitalisation, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful commended MTN and all other partners.
In an appeal, the Minister called on MTN, current partners, and potential partners to come on board and support the Trust to keep the Girls in ICT programme running.
“To our partners, continue supporting us and see it as an investment in future leaders. We have to raise the next generation of future women leaders.
“I want to assure current sponsors that we appreciate your support but we will always ask for more,” Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said.
The launch of the Girls in ICT Trust is to deliver a pipeline of trained and empowered girls and women while creating an enabling national environment for young women in ICT and STEM.
The Trust is also to ensure that the programme continues running even when Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful is no longer at the helm of affairs at the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation.