Following the rollout of AI Compute Service in Hong Kong (China), Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore in 2025, Huawei Cloud MaaS (Model-as-a-Service) is now available, leveraging Huawei’s in-house acceleration engine to support mainstream models and provide customers with stable and high-quality token services.
Huawei Cloud continues to strengthen its collaboration with high-quality open-source models in the industry. Six models from three categories—GLM, DeepSeek, and Qwen—are the first to be supported by MaaS. These models are designed for two major application scenarios: intelligent Q&A and AI coding. They offer one-click access and out-of-the-box model hosting services, covering the entire lifecycle of model management from deployment to inference, fine-tuning, and evaluation. With elastic compute and pay-per-use billing, enterprises and developers can quickly integrate AI capabilities into their service systems without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. This makes AI accessible to everyone.
Notably, this release includes support for the latest GLM-5 model. GLM-5 has attained state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance in coding and agent capabilities, making it an ideal general-purpose agent foundation for complex system engineering and long-text agent tasks in enterprise environments.
Huawei Cloud’s long-term strategic investment in AI has resulted in a comprehensive suite of AI solutions, including CloudMatrix AI Infra, MaaS, ModelArts (a model training and inference platform), CodeArts (a coding agent), AgentArts (an agent platform), and DataArts (a data agent).
CodeArts and AgentArts will be launched outside the Chinese mainland in the second half of 2026.
Huawei Cloud has established an optimized cloud infrastructure network in the Asia Pacific region. This network comprises five Regions and 18 availability zones (AZs) located in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, and the Philippines, ensuring a 50 ms access latency. Additionally, in Malaysia, Huawei Cloud and partners have jointly built a local cloud.
Huawei Cloud AI Compute Service have helped many Asia Pacific customers elevate their cloud journey from simply migrating to the cloud to using AI well. They have benefited from improved productivity and better adaptation to changing environments.
iFLYTEK, a leading intelligent voice and AI company, selected Singapore as the first destination for its global expansion strategy in 2023, naturally extending its collaboration with Huawei Cloud from China to a global scale. Huawei Cloud AI Compute Service helped iFLYTEK quickly deploy their large language model training resources within two weeks. The training remained stable for 60 days without interruption, ensuring zero faults during the release of major versions.
Green and Smart Mobility (GSM), an emerging green mobility platform, chose Huawei Cloud to reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and achieve multi-cloud flexibility. GSM has developed a comprehensive fleet management platform using AI and IoT. By utilizing Huawei Cloud IoTDA and ModelArts AI technologies, GSM analyzes violations and generates risk alerts to ensure driver and passenger safety, thereby fulfilling its mission of promoting green and safe transportation.
Huawei Cloud will continue to invest in AI innovation and provide a secure, stable, and intelligent cloud foundation to help enterprises in Asia Pacific achieve sustainable business growth in the AI era.
Through improved lifecycle management of network equipment, Ericsson and Umniah are enhancing value recovery while minimizing the environmental footprint of their network modernization efforts.
Coinciding with Earth Day 2026, Ericsson and Umniah by Beyon announce the expansion of their collaboration under the Ericsson e-Waste Program to support responsible end-of-life handling of electronic and electrical equipment, reinforcing their commitment to responsible network evolution and environmental sustainability.
Since 2024, the collaboration has delivered recycling of over 130 metric tons of decommissioned electrical and electronic equipment, reducing landfill waste, supporting resource recovery, and advancing circular economy practices through structured collection and certified recycling processes.
The program aligns with both companies’ climate action and environmental sustainability strategies. Through improved lifecycle management of network equipment, Ericsson and Umniah are enhancing value recovery while minimizing the environmental footprint of their network modernization efforts.
As Umniah continues to strengthen its position in the Hashemite Kingdom and accelerate its transformation following its rebrand to Umniah by Beyon, sustainability remains embedded within its network modernization strategy. The responsible retirement and recycling of legacy infrastructure plays a critical role in building a high-performance, future-ready network.
Ericsson launched its global e-Waste Program in 2005 to minimize its products’ environmental impact and ensure proper end-of-life handling. Ericsson offers the program to customers in 180 countries worldwide.
“Network leadership demands continuous evolution. As we enhance capacity, speed, and reliability across Jordan’s Best Mobile Network, we are equally deliberate about how we retire legacy infrastructure. Through our collaboration with Ericsson, we are ensuring that modernization delivers both technical excellence and measurable environmental responsibility. Performance and sustainability are not trade-offs. They are design principles.”
– Yusuf Sater, Chief Technology Officer, Umniah by Beyon
“Ericsson’s e-Waste Program supports responsible end-of-life handling for electronic and electrical equipment. Working with Umniah enables the application of circular economy practices through take-back, recycling and final disposal processes. This aligns with Ericsson’s climate action and environmental sustainability strategy.”
– Kevin Murphy, President, Ericsson North Middle East
Through this partnership, Umniah and Ericsson seek to put the environment at the forefront of its business operations and raise awareness about the best e-waste disposal and recycling practices while they continue to collaborate on sustainability initiatives.
The MTN Ghana Foundation has opened applications for its Bright Scholarship scheme for the 2026/27 academic year, offering financial support to hundreds of students across the country.
The initiative, which targets academically gifted but financially constrained students, is designed to cover tuition, accommodation and essential learning materials, in a bid to remove barriers to higher education and skills development.
According to the Foundation, the scholarship is open to Ghanaian continuing students pursuing undergraduate degrees, as well as those enrolled in vocational and technical training programmes at public tertiary institutions nationwide.
Prospective applicants have been directed to submit their entries through the online portal – https://scholarship.mtn.com.gh/ – before the May 31, 2026 deadline, with organisers stressing that the process is entirely free and that no hardcopy submissions will be accepted.
Eligibility criteria require applicants to demonstrate strong academic performance, good conduct and a clean disciplinary record, reflecting the programme’s focus on nurturing responsible future leaders.
Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Ghana, Adwoa Wiafe, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to education and youth empowerment, describing the scholarship as a strategic investment in the country’s human capital.
She disclosed that a total of 500 scholarships will be awarded this year, with 300 slots earmarked for students pursuing courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as vocational and technical disciplines. The remaining 200 awards will go to teachers undertaking further studies at public universities.
The Bright Scholarship Programme, first introduced in 2018, forms part of MTN’s broader corporate social responsibility agenda aimed at supporting education and national development.
It was initially launched following a pledge made during the company’s 20th anniversary celebrations and later expanded in 2021 to increase its reach after recording significant impact.
Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than 2,000 scholarships to students at various levels of education, reinforcing its role as a key contributor to educational advancement in Ghana.
A group of junior high school students in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region have developed a prototype “smart farm” system aimed at addressing the growing challenge of dry farmlands caused by erratic rainfall and rising temperatures.
The innovation was unveiled at the graduation ceremony of the third cohort of the Telecel DigiTech Academy, where about 500 students from across the country showcased practical solutions developed during a three-month training programme in robotics and coding.
The project, designed by a team from Peki Blengo Evangelical Presbyterian Junior High School, responds directly to the environmental pressures affecting farming communities in Peki and its environs, where prolonged dry spells have made cultivation increasingly difficult, particularly during the dry season.
Leading the team, Ruth Martey explained that the idea was inspired by the daily struggles of farmers in their community, many of whom depend on rainfall for their livelihoods. She noted that unreliable rainfall patterns have significantly affected crop yields, prompting the students to explore a technological solution.
The prototype integrates an automated irrigation system capable of drawing water from underground sources or nearby water bodies. It is programmed to activate when soil moisture levels drop below a certain threshold, ensuring that crops receive adequate water without manual intervention. The system also incorporates a lighting feature to illuminate farms at night and deter animals that often destroy crops under the cover of darkness.
Local farmer Evans Owusu, who has spent over two decades cultivating cassava, plantain and cocoa, said the students’ innovation reflects the realities confronting farmers in the area. He indicated that delayed rains have become increasingly common, disrupting planting cycles and reducing output. According to him, a fully developed version of the system could significantly improve productivity and incomes if adopted widely.
The smart farm formed part of a broader exhibition of student-led innovations, including security alarm systems, e-commerce applications, rain detection devices and other agricultural tools. Participants were drawn from 19 schools across five regions, highlighting the growing reach of the programme.
The headteacher of Peki Blengo EP JHS, Vincent Adzagbenu, said the initiative had strengthened students’ analytical and problem-solving abilities, adding that such hands-on learning approaches were essential in preparing young people for future careers in science and technology.
The Telecel DigiTech Academy, implemented in collaboration with the Mingo Foundation and Asustem Robotics, and in partnership with the Ghana Education Service and the National STEM Centre, is designed to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical application. Students are trained in areas such as Scratch programming, Arduino-based robotics and basic web development, before applying their skills to real-life community challenges.
Although projects such as the smart farm remain at the prototype stage, stakeholders say they demonstrate the potential of technology-driven solutions to address local problems if supported with further development, funding and testing.
Head of Foundation, Sustainability and External Communications at Telecel Ghana, Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson, said the programme was focused on equipping young people with digital skills to create tangible solutions while inspiring interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.
She added that the initiative prioritises gender inclusion, with girls accounting for about 70 per cent of participants nationwide, and includes training for teachers to ensure continuity and long-term impact in beneficiary schools.
Since its launch in 2024, the Telecel DigiTech Academy has trained more than 2,300 students across 13 regions, with plans to expand its reach in subsequent cohorts as part of efforts to nurture a new generation of problem-solvers.
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has warned that cybercrime is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most expensive threats, with costs projected to rise alarmingly in the coming years.
Speaking at the 2026 CISO Summit on Wednesday, April 22, he cited data from Cybersecurity Ventures indicating that global cybercrime costs are expected to grow by 15 per cent annually over the next five years, rising from US$3 trillion in 2015 to about US$10.5 trillion by the end of 2025.
He also referenced International Monetary Fund (IMF) figures showing that the global financial sector alone has already lost over US$12 billion to cyber incidents over the past two decades, underscoring the scale of the threat facing institutions worldwide.
He cautioned that Ghana is equally exposed, stressing that cybersecurity now affects revenue, operations, reputation, customer trust, and national security.
“Cybersecurity now impacts revenue, operations, reputation, customer trust, and national security. It is a boardroom-level business imperative,” he stated, while commending Sapient Envision and Innovare Group for creating a platform that elevates cybersecurity discussions to the boardroom level.
In a move to bridge Ghana’s digital divide and equip students with information and communication technology (ICT) skills, the Telecel Ghana Foundation has commissioned a fully refurbished ICT laboratory at Bamboi D/A Junior High School in the Savannah Region.
The initiative, delivered through the organization’s Employee Volunteering Programme (EVP) also known as Red Hearts, encourages staff to contribute their resources to projects that create meaningful social impact. The project, led by Telecel Ghana’s Technology Team, produced the transformation of the school’s outdated ICT facility into a modern digital learning hub.
Before the upgrade, students had minimal exposure to computers, limiting their ability to develop essential digital skills. The refurbished lab now features desktop computers, high-speed internet connectivity, a projector, an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), and other tools to support interactive teaching and learning.
Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson, Head of Foundation, Sustainability and External Communications at Telecel Ghana, emphasized the importance of inclusive access to technology: “At Telecel Ghana Foundation, we believe that access to digital tools is a necessity for every child. By empowering schools like Bamboi D/A JHS with the resources they need, we are enhancing teaching and learning as well as preparing students to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Our employee volunteers are at the heart of this impact, demonstrating that collective action can drive meaningful change in our communities.”
She further noted that the initiative aligns with the Foundation’s broader commitment to advancing digital inclusion and improving educational outcomes in underserved communities, under its Connected Learning pillar. School authorities and local stakeholders welcomed the intervention, describing it as timely and transformative. They highlighted that the facility will significantly improve ICT instruction and expose students to practical digital learning experiences for the first time.
The ICT lab upgrade forms part of Telecel Ghana Foundation’s ongoing efforts to promote equitable access to education, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Through strategic investments in digital infrastructure and community-driven initiatives, the Foundation continues to invest in initiatives that advance education, health, and digital inclusion, working with communities and partners to create sustainable opportunities for young people and to support Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
Think about the last time you saw a child without a phone. It is getting harder to remember, isn’t it? Today’s children are growing up in two worlds at once the physical one we can see, and a digital one that never sleeps, never pauses, and is designed by some of the smartest engineers on earth to keep them scrolling for as long as possible.
For the most part, we have let this happen without asking too many questions. The phone kept the children quiet. The Wi-Fi kept the peace. But the questions we didn’t ask are now showing up as statistics that should stop every parent cold.
In 2024, there were over 23,000 reports of child sexual abuse material linked to Ghana up from just 750 in 2016. A survey of senior high school girls in Accra found that one in three had been blackmailed on social media, either for money or for sex.
These are not stories from faraway places. These are our children. And this is why governments around the world including, slowly, our own are finally deciding that enough is enough.
One in three female SHS students in Accra has been blackmailed on social media. These are not faraway statistics. These are our children.
What the World Is Doing
Countries are moving fast. Australia passed a law in December 2025 banning children under 16 from social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube. It was the first national ban of its kind anywhere in the world. Platforms that break the rules face fines of up to AU$50 million.
Greece announced in April 2026 that children under 15 will be blocked from social media entirely from January 2027. The UK, France, Spain, Germany, and Denmark are all passing or considering similar laws. The European Union is discussing a single legal standard across all 27 member states, with fines of up to 6% of a tech company’s global income for non-compliance. For a company like Meta, that could mean tens of billions of euros.
The message being sent is simple: children are not small adults. They deserve specific protection online, and the platforms that profit from their attention have a legal obligation to provide it.
Australia — Online Safety Amendment Act, 2025 — Bans under-16s from major social media platforms. Platforms face fines up to AU$50 million for non-compliance.
Greece — Announced April 2026 — Under-15 ban on social media, effective January 2027. Prime Minister pushing for an EU-wide standard.
EU — Digital Services Act — Platforms with over 45 million EU users face fines up to 6% of global annual turnover for child safety violations.
Where Ghana Stands
Ghana is not starting from zero. We have something many African countries don’t a genuine legal foundation in the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038). This law, passed by Parliament and signed in December 2020, takes child protection online seriously in ways that matter.
It makes it a criminal offence to take, possess, or share indecent images of children online. It criminalises grooming the process of an adult befriending and manipulating a child online for sexual purposes. Crucially, even an attempt to groom a child is treated as seriously as the act itself. And it holds internet service providers accountable: platforms and networks that knowingly allow grooming to take place on their services can be charged as accomplices. Penalties range from five to twenty-five years in prison.
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA), created by the same Act, is specifically mandated to promote the protection of children online, run public awareness campaigns, and push platforms and telecoms to do better.
More recently, the Ministry of Communications and the CSA have proposed using the Ghana Card as an age-verification tool so that when a young person tries to access adult content online, they have to prove who they are through the National Identification Authority database. Minister Samuel Nartey George confirmed in December 2025 that this proposal is heading to Cabinet. The National Identification Authority has already begun issuing Ghana Cards to children aged 6 to 14 as of October 2025, which gives us the infrastructure to actually make this work.
Ghana — Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), Sections 62–65 — Criminalises grooming, indecent images of children, and online sexual exploitation. Penalties of 5–25 years imprisonment. ISPs can be held liable for aiding and abetting.
Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 — Ghana was the first country in the world to ratify this convention in 1990. It requires states to protect children from all forms of exploitation and abuse, including in digital environments.
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child — Obliges African states to protect children from social and economic exploitation and harmful practices.
The Gap We Need to Close
Here is what our law does not yet do: it does not restrict a child’s access to social media in the first place.
Act 1038 is a criminal law it punishes exploitation after it happens. What it does not address is the quieter, everyday harm that runs perfectly legally: the algorithm that keeps a 13-year-old awake until 2am, the feed that bombards a teenage girl with images that make her feel inadequate, the endless notifications engineered to make putting the phone down feel impossible.
Research from Imperial College London found that children who use social media heavily in early secondary school are significantly more likely to develop anxiety and depression in later years mostly because it destroys sleep. Children who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of mental health problems. These harms are not accidents. They are features. The platforms are built this way on purpose, because time on screen is how they make money.
UNICEF’s assessment of Ghana’s legal framework said it plainly: there is no clear statement in our laws about the virtual environment, and Ghana has signed international child protection treaties without fully ratifying them. Signing a treaty and living by it are two different things.
Act 1038 punishes the predator. It does not restrain the algorithm. The everyday harm — the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the engineered addiction — is still entirely legal.
What We Can Do Right Now
Laws take time. While Parliament deliberates, there are things every family can do today.
Talk to your children not as a lecture, but as a conversation. Ask them what they see online. Ask them how it makes them feel. Children who can talk to their parents about what they encounter online are far better protected than those who can’t. The CSA’s own campaigns have shown that awareness is one of the most powerful tools we have
Set real boundaries around screens at night. The research is clear: late-night scrolling is the single biggest driver of the sleep disruption that leads to mental health problems in adolescents. A phone charging in the living room overnight is a small change with a significant impact.
Report harmful content. Ghana has reporting mechanisms through the Cyber Security Authority. If your child encounters grooming, exploitation, or abuse online, report it. Every report helps build the evidence base that lawmakers need to act.
And hold platforms accountable. Ask the apps your children use what they are doing to protect minors. Demand answers. The more citizens push, the more platforms are forced to respond.
Every evening, in homes across Ghana, a familiar scene plays out. A parent asks a child to put down their phone. The child resists. The phone wins. It has been winning for years, because the phone was built by people who are paid to make it win.
The law’s job is to change the rules of that game. Ghana has the foundation in Act 1038. We have the infrastructure in the Ghana Card. We have ministers who say they are ready to act. What we need now is the follow-through before another generation of children pays the price of our delay.
The Minister for Communication, Technology, and Innovation, Sam George, has disclosed plans for the consideration of a framework that would allow mutual recognition of fintech and payment service licences between Ghana and Zambia to ease cross-border business operations.
He explained that the current system forces companies already licensed under one regulatory regime to repeat the entire approval process when entering another market, despite operating under similar standards.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, April 20, Mr George said this creates unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks that slow down private sector expansion and cross-border innovation.
“The Bank of Zambia fintech policy was modelled and structured with technical expertise from the Bank of Ghana. So, if a company in Zambia, using those benchmarks that have been created, goes through the rigorous process of getting a PSP licence, must that company come to Ghana and start afresh from the beginning again? he questioned.
According to him, the goal is to allow companies that have successfully obtained licences in either Ghana or Zambia to operate across both jurisdictions without restarting the entire licensing process.
Mr George stressed that the proposed alignment would significantly improve the ease of doing business, reduce administrative delays, and strengthen fintech collaboration between the two countries.
The Chief Executive Officer of Mobile Money Fintech Limited (MoMo), Shaibu Haruna, has assured customers that there will be no disruption to services following the company’s transition into a standalone fintech entity.
He said the separation from its parent company, MTN Ghana, is in line with regulatory requirements and will not affect how customers access mobile money services.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, April 20, 2026, Mr Haruna explained that the move was necessitated by Ghana’s financial regulations.
“We became a standalone entity because it was necessary due to the regulations of the country. The Payment Systems and Services Act requires that we operate as a separate company and be regulated by the Bank of Ghana,” he said.
He noted that the transition has been in progress for the past five years and involved significant structural changes to meet regulatory standards.
Mr Haruna said beyond compliance, the shift will position the company to expand its services and form strategic partnerships.
“Beyond the regulation, we also want a system that will allow us to go beyond a wallet service. This means we will be able to scale up quickly and form strategic partnerships to bring more value to Ghanaians,” he said.
He reassured customers that their experience would remain unchanged despite the restructuring.
“Our customers will not experience any change in the way we serve them. They will continue to access our services through the MTN distribution network. From their perspective, the only change will be the level of innovation that we will deliver,” he added.
Shaibu Haruna also disclosed plans to list the mobile money business on the local stock exchange in the coming years.
“We have also made a commitment to our shareholders that within the next three to five years, we will list MoMo on the local stock market to allow Ghanaians to buy shares in the business,” he said.
MTN Ghana has announced plans to invest more than $1 billion over the next three years to expand its network, strengthen cybersecurity systems and improve service delivery across the country.
The investment forms part of the company’s long-term strategy to enhance infrastructure, meet growing data demand and strengthen its resilience against evolving cyber threats in the telecommunications sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Mr Stephen Blewett, disclosed this at the company’s 2026 Media and Stakeholder Forum held in Accra on Friday.
He explained that a significant portion of the investment would go into network expansion and upgrades of IT systems to ensure efficiency and resilience as the business continues to grow.
“As your business grows, you need more robust systems. With the increasing number of cyber-attacks globally, it is important to invest in resilience to ensure consistent service delivery,” he said.
Mr Blewett said the company remained committed to improving customer experience while maintaining secure systems capable of supporting Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
He identified fibre cuts as a major operational challenge affecting service quality, attributing the problem partly to road construction works and human interference.
According to him, while the company collaborates with relevant authorities during planned infrastructure works to relocate fibre installations, uncoordinated activities and deliberate damage continue to disrupt services. “We are experiencing many fibre cuts, some due to construction and others due to lack of awareness. In some cases, people even set fire near fibre installations, which is dangerous because it affects critical national infrastructure,” he said.
Mr Blewett called for stronger public education and stricter enforcement measures to protect telecommunications infrastructure, stressing that damage to fibre networks had nationwide implications.
The forum, held under the theme “MTN Ghana @30: Connecting Ghana, Shaping the Digital Future,” formed part of activities marking the company’s 30 years of operations in Ghana.
It brought together media practitioners, regulators, partners and other stakeholders to review the company’s performance and future outlook.
Mr Blewett described Ghana as a strong and attractive market, noting that MTN continued to record significant growth in subscriber numbers and data usage.
He revealed that MTN Ghana currently has over 31 million subscribers, while data usage has grown by about 48 per cent, driven by increased demand for video streaming, social media and other digital services.
“We are pleased with our performance, but we remain focused on sustaining growth and delivering value to our customers,” he said.
He identified digital services, particularly mobile gaming and entertainment, as emerging growth areas, especially among young people.
“Gaming is becoming a major opportunity. Many young people who did not have access to traditional gaming consoles can now access games on their mobile phones,” he said.
Mr Blewett added that MTN aims to support local developers to create and export digital content globally.
On infrastructure, he announced plans to roll out more than 800 new cell sites in 2026 to improve coverage and network quality nationwide.
He stressed that network performance depended on spectrum availability, coverage and fibre connectivity, adding that sustained investment was essential to meet customer expectations.
Mr Blewett also outlined the company’s sustainability efforts, noting that more than 50 per cent of its operational sites are powered by solar energy, with ongoing plans to increase the use of renewable energy.
He further said MTN was working towards achieving gender balance, with a target of 50 per cent female representation in its workforce.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of MobileMoney Fintech Limited, Mr Shaibu Haruna, disclosed that all 10,000 agents whose accounts had previously been blocked due to suspicious activities had been reinstated after a review.
He explained that the accounts were initially suspended in line with regulatory requirements to protect customers and ensure compliance.
Mr Haruna assured that the company would continue to monitor transactions closely and take decisive action against any agent found engaging in fraudulent activities.
