Industry News

Telecommunications company Telecel Ghana has recognised Kathleen Nicole Brown as the best graduating female student in computer engineering at the University of Ghana for the 2024/2025 academic year.

The award was presented during the university’s Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Awards ceremony held at the Great Hall, where Ms Brown emerged as the recipient of the Telecel Ghana Prize after completing a demanding four-year programme in computer engineering.

The annual prize, sponsored by Telecel Ghana for more than a decade, forms part of efforts to promote female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), particularly in fields where women remain underrepresented.

Speaking after receiving the award, Ms Brown expressed excitement about her achievement and reflected on the discipline required to excel academically. “I’m very excited because a lot of work went into this achievement over the last four years. I’m so grateful to God that it all paid off. What worked for me was having a good study plan, a good study group and performing well consistently in my academics,” she said. “I’m also grateful to Telecel for giving me the industry exposure and mentorship in the past year.”

Ms Brown was among beneficiaries of Telecel’s Female Engineering Students Scholarship Programme (FESSP) in 2024, an initiative designed to support final-year female engineering students through tuition assistance, mentorship and professional exposure. Another beneficiary of the programme, Marie-Pearl Yaa Nono Akoto, also received recognition at the ceremony as the best student in computer science.

Telecel Ghana said the FESSP initiative is aimed at addressing barriers that limit female participation in technical fields by providing financial support and connecting students to experienced female engineers for mentorship and career guidance.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, noted that the awards scheme has been expanded to celebrate excellence in both academic and co-curricular activities. “The ceremony is to recognise and applaud students who have distinguished themselves in both academic and co-curricular activities in the 2024/2025 academic year. We are delighted to present 189 prizes to 151 deserving recipients, with 82 of them being female,” she said.

Telecel Ghana’s Human Resource Director, Rachael Appenteng, described the award as part of the company’s long-term investment in developing female talent for Ghana’s digital economy. “We believe recognising academic excellence is one practical way of building the pipeline of female talent needed for Ghana’s digital future. This prize reflects our commitment to encouraging young women who are choosing underrepresented fields such as computer engineering to be more visible, equipped and supported to lead in technology, engineering and innovation,” she stated.

Beyond the recognition, Ms Brown expressed hope that her achievement would inspire more young women to pursue careers in engineering and other technical disciplines. “I hope this prize inspires more girls to believe in themselves and pursue engineering or any course they want. They just need to have the mindset that they can do it. With that mindset and determination to learn, you can pursue any programme. So don’t be scared, just start and do it,” she said.

Looking ahead, she indicated plans to deepen her expertise in emerging areas such as machine learning, embedded systems and hardware security, as she prepares for further studies and career development in the technology sector.

Source : www.graphic.com.gh

MTN Côte d’Ivoire has held a high-level working session with IHS Towers aimed at reinforcing collaboration and aligning strategic priorities between the two organizations.

The meeting, which was led by MTN Côte d’Ivoire’s CEO, Mitwa Kaemba Ng’ambi, alongside representatives from both companies.

Discussions focused on governance frameworks and opportunities to deepen cooperation, with both parties exploring ways to enhance operational performance and drive sustainable value creation.

The engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships within the telecommunications ecosystem, particularly in areas related to infrastructure development and service delivery.

Both organizations reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a collaborative approach that supports long-term growth and improved connectivity outcomes.

Source : www .techreviewafrica.com

The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications has supported the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations with a laptop presentation to facilitate the national rollout of the One Million Coders Programme (OMCP).

The presentation ceremony, held on Friday, April 10, at the Ministry’s Conference Room, forms part of ongoing efforts to equip the programme with the necessary digital tools to ensure effective implementation across the country.

The One Million Coders Programme is a flagship national initiative aimed at building digital skills among Ghana’s youth, enhancing employability, and positioning the country as a competitive player in the global digital economy.

Speaking at the event, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to digital transformation and inclusive access to technology.

He emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships and institutional support in achieving the programme’s ambitious target.

The Minister further disclosed that following the programme’s launch nearly a year ago by the President, a dedicated team was tasked to assess the implementation landscape and has since produced a comprehensive report to guide the training phase of the initiative.

He also highlighted the programme’s strong focus on job creation, noting that the training is designed to open up employment opportunities for participants.

To support this, 130 centres have been established nationwide, with each region hosting state-of-the-art facilities.

Additionally, 12 universities have been integrated into the programme through collaboration with the Ministry of Education to enhance training delivery and impact.

Also present at the presentation were the Deputy Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Mohammed Adams Sukparu; the Administrator (CEO) of GIFEC, Tanko Rashid-Computer; the Deputy Administrator (CEO), Nana Akyaa Amoah-Amissah; and the Director of Corporate Affairs, Francisca Adjei.

The laptops presented are expected to support training, coordination, and operational activities under the OMCP as it expands nationwide.

GIFEC’s contribution aligns with its mandate to facilitate universal access to electronic communication and promote digital inclusion, particularly in underserved and rural communities.

The national rollout of the One Million Coders Programme is anticipated to accelerate Ghana’s digitalisation agenda while empowering a new generation of tech-driven innovators and professionals.

Source : www.myjoyonline.com

About 50 women entrepreneurs from across the Ashanti Region have received training on business management, credit risk, and financial sustainability at a capacity-building workshop organised by Telecel Business, as part of its Women in Business portfolio.

Hosted at the GNAT Hall in Amakom, Kumasi, under the theme ‘Mastering Credit Risk for Sustainable Business Growth,” the session addressed a recurring challenge for many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): extending credit to customers without affecting cash flow or exposing businesses to avoidable losses.

Organised in collaboration with CBG, participants were taken through practical elements on credit risk fundamentals, customer credit assessment, payment policy design, cash flow monitoring and managing defaults.

Samuel Owusu, Zonal Coordinator for Micro Segments and Rural Outreach in the Women’s Banking Division at Consolidated Bank Ghana, who led the training, said the workshop was designed to equip entrepreneurs with systems that support long-term growth.

“We focused on helping participants understand how to evaluate creditworthiness, manage cash flow, and build sustainable systems that reduce financial risk. These skills are essential for scaling any business successfully,” he said.

Many participants found that the session offered practical solutions to challenges they confront daily. “This workshop has completely changed how I look at credit. I now understand how to assess customer risk and protect my cash flow. It’s going to help me grow my business more confidently,” said Beatrice Anaglo, founder of Awusu Fashion Hub.

Alfred Neizer, Head of SME at Telecel Ghana, said supporting women entrepreneurs with practical business knowledge remains central to the Telecel Women in Business value proposition.

“Women-owned businesses continue to play a critical role in local economic activity. We believe that by focusing on equipping business owners with practical financial skills such as credit management, they build stronger businesses that can grow sustainably,” Mr Neizer said.

The Kumasi workshop forms part of Telecel Ghana’s wider Women’s Month activities throughout March, which combine digital inclusion, enterprise development and leadership conversations to empower women.

As the capacity-building workshop for women-led businesses in Kumasi came to an end with an interactive question-and-answer segment, Abena Adowaa, founder of HairUp Brides, said the new knowledge on clearer credit systems could help her business avoid persistent losses.

“The session on credit risk management was very practical. I have learned how to set clear credit policies and avoid bad debts, which has been a major challenge for my business,” she said.

Source :  www.peacefmonline.com

The rise of AI is putting new pressure on infrastructure as organisations reconsider how they store, manage, protect and use data. Against this backdrop, Huawei’s annual IT Day focused on the growing need for intelligent storage and computing.

The event drew more than 400 customers and partners, with Huawei showcasing its latest AI data infrastructure, all-flash storage and virtualisation. The conversation centred on the growing need for closer collaboration as businesses face cyber threats and the demands of AI.

Kui Zheng, CEO of Huawei Enterprise Business Group in South Africa, said this year’s IT Day is built around a critical question: how do organisations future-proof data storage and unlock the true value of data in the AI era?

The question is especially relevant in South Africa, where digital transformation is already driving infrastructure upgrades. 

Kui described South Africa as both a key player in the global economy and a pioneer of innovation. “From government to transportation, finance, and energy, we’ve seen South African organisations lead the charge in upgrading ICT infrastructure, accelerating digital transformation, and improving lives.”

He outlined four of the main areas Huawei plans to focus on: 

• Data protection to help keep businesses running during cyber threats or infrastructure failures, 
• Data centre virtualisation to improve performance while reducing overhead, 
• AI computing to unlock new insights and efficiency, 
• Smart office tools to support more connected collaboration.

Building AI-ready infrastructure

Huawei showcased OceanStor Dorado as its flagship storage platform for mission-critical workloads. Naveen Kumar, Technical Director of Advanced Storage Solutions Group, said as AI and the token economy grow, so does the amount of data that organisations have to handle. This in turn, puts extra pressure on enterprise infrastructure. 

He said New-Gen OceanStor Dorado is designed to meet those demands by improving performance, supporting SAN, NAS and S3 in one system, and strengthening the security needed for critical enterprise environments.

Clinton George, Solution Architect of Huawei Enterprise Data Centre Solution Department, said Huawei’s answer to modern data centre demands is DCS, which he described as a full stack data centre virtualisation solution.

“More than just a hypervisor, DCS offers easy deployment, unified management, AI, a Big Data platform, and optimised compute-network-storage collaboration — delivering performance, resilience, ransomware protection, backup, and a migration tool that has helped over 1,200 customers in the past two years,” he said.

Huawei also highlighted its Atlas AI computing portfolio, with Allen Ye, Director of Huawei Southern Africa Computing Marketing & Solution Department, focusing on the growing infrastructure demands created by enterprise AI adoption.

He said the rise of AI-native applications and the token economy is driving demand for more computing power. According to Ye, inference demand is expected to grow faster than training over the next five years, catch up this year, and reach 4.5 times last year’s level by 2030.

Huawei showcased scenario-based AI practices currently applied in public services, finance, and electric power industries, and demonstrated how AI can create value based on specific scenarios. AI is used to improve operational efficiency and public satisfaction.

Huawei also showcased Atlas 850E&950 SuperPoD, Next-generation AI computing architecture for larger AI workloads. It can scale to 8,192 NPUs and support trillion-parameter model training, while its interconnection and UnifiedBus technology help ease the bandwidth, latency and bottleneck problems that often come with traditional clusters.

James Kamau Maina, Huawei’s Intelligent Collaboration Solution Architect, presented IdeaHub as the workhorse of the modern meeting room and a key part of the company’s AI Classroom push. Maina said large deployments can be managed through IdeaManager, which handles configuration and diagnostics at scale.

IdeaHub supports wireless projection without requiring devices to be on the same network. Up to 40 devices can be connected at once and nine projecting simultaneously. It also includes eye-protection features.

Real-world application

The programme featured customer and partner success stories, showing how organisations are already using Huawei technologies in real-world environments to modernise operations. 

Aadhir Maharaj, Solution Sales Data Centre Specialist at Altron Digital Business, said the partnership between Altron and Huawei focuses on helping South African businesses build stronger technology infrastructure. The partnership, which now spans 14 years, is supported by 91 Huawei engineers across South Africa and has delivered more than R5 billion in project value.

According to Maharaj, that kind of footprint matters at a time when businesses are under growing pressure to turn AI ambition into real operational value.

Lu Peng, Director of the Huawei South Africa Data Center Solution Sales Department, introduced OceanClub, a global non-profit technical community focused on data storage exchange and collaborative problem-solving. 

The programme closed with the 2026 OceanClub MVP awards, which recognised South African professionals for their contributions to data infrastructure, innovation and knowledge sharing. The local honourees were Aadhir Maharaj, Michael Khutlane, Laure Le Roux and Gareth Smith.

Looking ahead, Huawei will continue building on its work in the data centre space while working closely with customers and partners to support South Africa’s digital transformation.

Source : www. mybroadband.co.za

Ghana is set for a major boost in mobile network quality following a bold new policy shift led by Samuel Nartey George, Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation.

Instead of collecting fines from telecom companies for poor service, the government is now requiring them to invest directly in infrastructure—ensuring that customers see real improvements where it matters most.

At a recent media engagement during the launch of the One Million Coders Programme, the Minister announced that MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana have committed to building a combined 1,150 new cell sites in 2026. This includes 800 sites from MTN and 350 from Telecel—marking one of the most ambitious network expansion efforts in the country’s history.

This new direction replaces a system where fines were paid to the regulator, the National Communications Authority, but delivered little direct benefit to everyday users. Now, those same penalties are effectively being transformed into tangible upgrades that will improve call quality, data speeds, and coverage nationwide.

The scale of the commitment is especially striking. MTN Ghana’s 800-site rollout for 2026 is nearly four times its average annual expansion over the past decade—signaling a significant acceleration in investment and service improvement.

Alongside this, the government has raised service quality standards, tightening allowable network failure rates from 3% to just 1%. This ensures that telecom providers not only expand coverage but also maintain higher performance levels.

The result is a clear win for consumers: better connectivity, stronger networks, and faster progress toward a digitally inclusive Ghana. With construction already underway, users can expect noticeable improvements in service quality in the months ahead.

Source : www.newsghana.com.gh

The Chief Executive Officer of Telecel Ghana, Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai, has called for a fundamental rethink of Ghana’s education system, warning that widening gaps between academic training and industry needs risk undermining national development.

Speaking at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Public Lecture Series 2026 on Friday, April 10, she described the forum as “a national conversation” that extends beyond academia and demands urgent reflection on how the country prepares young people for the future.

“I thank the leadership of the University for this important national conversation,” she said.

“I refer to it as a national conversation deliberately because this goes beyond an academic gathering. This is the kind of platform that places demand on our country to think about systems preparing our young people and whether we are moving at the same speed as the future approaching them.”

Ing. Obo-Nai praised UEW for its central role in shaping Ghana’s educational foundation, noting that teacher training institutions have a far-reaching impact on society.

“UEW has long carried a unique responsibility in Ghana’s educational journey because training teachers is shaping generations,” she stated. “You shape how our children first learn confidence. You shape how our curiosity is formed. And you shape how young people begin to imagine possibilities.”

She stressed that education must remain relevant in a rapidly changing world shaped by technology, inequality, and shifting economic demands.

According to her, failure to adapt curricula to contemporary realities risks creating a disconnect between learning and employability.

“The word that stands out in the theme is rethinking,” she noted, referring to the lecture topic Empowering Minds: Rethinking Education for Sustainable Development. “It means asking whether systems designed for one era are still fit for another.”

“The skills that industries demand, including mine, are evolving faster than many curricula in technology is changing. If education remains unchanged whilst everything around it changes, we are creating a gap between learning and relevance.”

She warned that the consequences of such a gap are already visible. “Students feel it first, employers feel it next, and eventually the economy feels it most.”

Ing. Obo-Nai also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between academia and industry, arguing that no single institution can address the challenges of skills development alone.

“Industry must participate by helping shape graduate readiness for work,” she said.

Highlighting Telecel Ghana’s interventions in education and skills development, she outlined several initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between classroom learning and workplace demands.

She mentioned the company’s Next Generation Graduate Programme, which she said is designed “to transition students from university to professional life through practical work experience and structured mentoring.”

She also highlighted the Telecel Female Engineering Scholarship Programme, which has run for nearly a decade.

“We are intentional about investing in the future of women in engineering by supporting them financially in their final year and providing them with valuable work exposure through internships,” she said.

According to her, gender inclusion in technical fields is critical to innovation. “When women remain in engineering, sectors become stronger, solutions broader, and industries more representative of the society they serve.”

Ing. Obo-Nai further referenced the Telecel Digitech Academy, implemented in partnership with the Ghana Education Service and the National STEM Centre, which has trained about 2,000 students across 13 regions in robotics, coding and web design.

She described the initiative as part of Ghana’s necessary “digital shift,” adding that students have developed innovative solutions including automated irrigation systems, bushfire-fighting robots, assistive tools for persons with visual impairments, flood detection systems and wind energy prototypes.

“Today, digital literacy has become a basic requirement for relevance,” she said. “Irrespective of sector, digital confidence is increasingly shaping how far our youth can go.”

Addressing students directly, she urged them to take their studies seriously in a rapidly evolving world. “The quality of life of a country is reflective of its quality of education,” she said. “Whilst we build roads, expand industries, and invest in technology, human capability must grow at the same pace.”

She encouraged a shift in mindset about education beyond formal qualifications.

“Let us not treat education as something you complete. Let’s treat it as something you continue—keep learning, questioning, and building beyond qualification.”

Source : www.myjoyonline.com

Telecommunications network Telecel Ghana has rewarded the latest winner of its long-running Dream Car Promotion, marking the 14th edition with the presentation of a brand-new  Hyundai Creta.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, April 8, at Kaneshie Market, Acting Head of Products and Services, Carlos Asare-Okoh, described the event as a major milestone in the company’s customer reward efforts.

“Today has been a wonderful day. We are rewarding, for the 14th time, a winner of the Dream Car Promo, which has been running for about seven to eight years now,” he said.

He noted that the initiative is designed to reward loyalty while creating engaging opportunities for customers.

“The Dream Car Promo is something we run twice every year to reward our customers who are loyal to us, who play games with us and who have fun on our network,” he noted.

According to him, the promotion, which began in 2018, has consistently delivered life-changing rewards.

“We’ve already rewarded about six houses and given away several cars, and today we’ve added another car to that list. It’s basically our way of giving back to customers for the time they spend on our network and the relationship we have with them,” he added.

Addressing concerns about transparency, he stressed the company’s commitment to fairness and credibility.

“For us as Telecel, credibility is key. We make sure that the right authorities are involved in everything we do. That is why we partnered with the National Lottery Authority to oversee the process,” he stated.

He further assured customers that the selection process is independently verified.

Autos & Vehicles

“This is not a promo where we reward ourselves or give prizes to family and friends. In fact, they don’t even qualify. The NLA is here to ensure that those who genuinely participate and engage are the ones who are rewarded,” he stressed.

The latest winner, Kofi Ofusu-Ennin, expressed excitement after receiving the keys to his new car. He said he first encountered the promotion on social media and decided to try his luck.

“At first, I didn’t put much effort into it, but after winning some weekly prizes, I decided to take it seriously. Eventually, it paid off,” he said.

Still overwhelmed by the win, he encouraged others who may doubt such promotions to participate.

“I was one of those people who didn’t really believe, but here I am today holding my car keys,” he added.

The Dream Car Promotion remains one of Telecel Ghana’s flagship customer engagement campaigns, rewarding loyalty while creating life-changing opportunities for subscribers.

Source : www. citinewsroom.com

From 2 to 5 March 2026, Barcelona once again became the beating heart of the global connectivity industry. MWC26 marked a milestone year: the 20th anniversary of the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event calling Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via home. Four days. One city. And an industry more energised than ever.

MWC26 drew nearly 105,000 attendees from 207 countries and territories. Over 2,900 exhibitors, sponsors, and partners filled the halls alongside more than 1,700 speakers and thought leaders. The GSMA Ministerial Programme convened 188 government delegations, 54 ministers, and 118 heads of regulatory authorities, making clear that MWC is not just a technology event. It is where policy, industry, and innovation find common ground.

Fifty-eight percent of attendees came from industries adjacent to the core mobile ecosystem, a sign that connectivity has become the common thread running through finance, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and beyond.

“We are in the iQ era. And Africa is not on the sidelines; we are in the room, shaping what this era means. MWC Barcelona showed us that. The conversations, the partnerships, the innovations on display. Intelligent connectivity. African solutions. Global scale. This continent has the talent, drive, and vision. Now we build.”

– Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA

For TechAfrica News, MWC Barcelona 2026 was four immersive days of on-the-ground reporting, strategic conversations, and exclusive interviews with the leaders shaping connectivity’s next chapter. As an official media partner, our team was embedded in the action from the first keynote to the final session on the show floor, examining every major development through the lens that matters most to us: what this means for Africa’s digital future.

“What we witnessed at MWC Barcelona this year was not a moment of anticipation, but a clear moment of arrival. Africa is engaging in the global technology conversation not as a passive participant, but as an active contributor. The depth of presence, the strength of partnerships, the substance of policy dialogue, and the collective weight the continent brought to Barcelona all point to a structural shift. Africa is no longer positioned at the margins of the global technology agenda. It is becoming central to it. At TechAfrica News, our responsibility is to document this evolution with the rigour and scale it requires.”

– Akim Benamara, Founder, TechAfrica News

Intelligence Is Not Coming. It Is Already Here.

MWC26 had a theme, and it was bold. The IQ Era arrived in Barcelona not as a concept to be debated but as a reality already reshaping how the industry builds, operates, and competes. After years of AI circling the edges of the telecom’s conversation, this edition made one thing clear: intelligence is no longer a feature you add to a network. It is the foundation you build from.

The entire programme was structured around six interconnected themes: Intelligent Infrastructure, ConnectAI, AI 4 Enterprise, AI Nexus, Tech4All, and Game Changers. Each one approached the same central question from a different angle: what does it actually mean to run a connected world on intelligent infrastructure? From self-optimising networks and agentic AI in the enterprise to sovereign AI governance and digital inclusion for the Global South, the conversations at Fira Gran Via moved well beyond ambition. The industry arrived in Barcelona asking what AI could do. It left reckoning with what AI is already doing and what responsibility comes with that.

For the TechAfrica News team, one thread ran through everything: The IQ Era is only meaningful if its benefits reach the communities that need them most. 

Africa Did Not Just Attend This Year. It Showed Up. 

For the first time in the event’s history, Africa had a pavilion of its own at MWC Barcelona. Anchored in Hall 4 and bringing together MTN, Ethio Telecom, Cassava Technologies, and Yas, the Africa Pavilion was more than a branded space on a floor plan. It was a statement about where the continent stands in the global connectivity conversation and where it intends to go.

The pavilion was inaugurated by the GSMA alongside the leaders of the G6, the six most influential African telecommunications companies, in a ceremony that drew strong interest from delegates across the event. What had long been overdue finally had a physical form: Africa’s digital identity on the world’s biggest telecoms stage.

The Numbers Behind the Moment

The GSMA Mobile Economy Report, released during the week, set the context. Africa is projected to reach 382 million 5G connections by 2030, but that represents just 21 percent of total mobile connections on the continent, the lowest regional adoption rate globally. The continent accounts for 33 percent of the world’s unconnected population despite global mobile broadband coverage reaching 96 percent. Smartphone ownership sits at just 24 percent, with entry-level devices in Sub-Saharan Africa costing the equivalent of 26 percent of monthly GDP per capita.

The Device Deal that Matters

Against those numbers, the GSMA and the Handset Affordability Coalition formalised plans to pilot affordable entry-level 4G smartphones in six African countries: DRC, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. An MoU was signed between the GSMA, the G6 operators, and OEM partners, with at least eight device manufacturers already in commercial negotiations. The target price point is US$30 to US$40. The GSMA was direct about the obstacle: rising global memory prices are making that range increasingly hard to hit, and government action on taxes and import duties will be critical to converting pilots into scale.

Building AI in African Languages

The week also marked a pivotal moment for the GSMA AI Language Models Initiative. At the 4YFN Africa AI Networking Event, GSMA leadership presented the initiative’s progress alongside a live demonstration of a Swahili-native reasoning model, built to think directly in Swahili rather than translate from English.

The session also unveiled the African AI Transparency Benchmark and announced the African Trust and Safety LLM Challenge, developed in partnership with Zindi to stress-test AI models across the continent’s multilingual environments. Innovation partners DataSpires and ToumAI showcased how locally built solutions are already closing the linguistic digital divide. The message was unambiguous: Africa’s more than 2,000 languages are not a constraint. They are the foundation.

“When we think about language models, we think about the frontier ones, and we all use the same frontier ones. For African languages, we need models that are built by Africans, for Africans, and that understand our cultural context, our accents, and our dialects, so they can serve us better. We see this as a real socio-economic transformation of the continent, and in the way it is unfolding across digitalisation.
– Kanwulia Okafor, Director of Industry Services – Africa, GSMA 

Partnerships, Deals, and Recognition

The bilateral activity across the week told its own story. MTN and Huawei signed a Strategic MoU on AI-driven network evolution, digital inclusion, and home broadband, targeting Autonomous Networks Level 4 as a shared evolution goal. MTN also announced a multi-year partnership with UNHCR to expand connectivity, mobile money, and digital skills for refugees, internally displaced persons, and host communities across its markets, where more than 20 million displaced people currently reside. Africa also took home hardware from MWC: Safaricom and Huawei won the GSMA GLOMO Award for Best FinTech and Digital Commerce Innovation for Ziidi, a money market fund service providing low-threshold digital investment access for low- and middle-income Kenyans, the result of over ten years of mobile money collaboration between the two companies. 

On the sidelines, Ghana’s Minister for Communications, Samuel Nartey George, secured an agreement with Huawei to provide free AI training for approximately 3,000 girls under Ghana’s Girls in ICT programme, with implementation planned in partnership with the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications and Huawei’s local office. Ethio Telecom used the week to hold high-level meetings with Huawei, Ericsson, ZTE, and Nokia, advancing the operator’s “Next Horizon: Digital and Beyond” strategy through discussions on network optimisation, expansion, and next-generation infrastructure.  

The Africa AI Council also held its first in-person meeting on the sidelines of MWC under the Smart Africa umbrella, while Smart Africa and MeetKai announced a five-country Sovereign AI pilot, with participating countries to be confirmed.  

The Africa story at MWC26 was not a sideshow. It was a parallel summit, with its own pavilion, its own deals, its own awards, and a clear shared message: Africa is not waiting to be included in the IQ Era. It is building its own version of it. 

Beyond the Stages: Voices from the Show Floor  

MWC Barcelona is where the conversations that shape the industry’s direction actually happen, and for the TechAfrica News team, the four days at Fira Gran Via were as much about the exchanges between sessions as the sessions themselves. From industry leaders and innovators to policymakers, our team spoke to a diverse range of voices across government, enterprise, and the technology ecosystem.  

Minister Doumba on Gabon’s Bold Digital Agenda: Policy, Partnerships, and Youth Empowerment  

“The continent has missed the previous industrial revolutions. We did not invent electricity, we did not invent the steam engine, we did not invent the internet, but hopefully we’ll learn to harness productively the current digital stage, and AI, and everything that comes with it.”

– Hon. Marc-Alexandre Doumba, Minister of Digital Economy and Innovation, Gabon

Madagascar’s Digital Foundation: Minister Andriamampiadana on Digital Identity, AI, and Africa’s Key Policy Priorities   

“The top priority for Africa should be about affordable connectivity and infrastructure, a clear and trusted regulatory framework, and digital skills and talent development. Harmonization of policy is crucial. I believe these three are the foundation.”

– Mahefa Andriamampiadana, Minister of Digital Development, Posts, and Telecommunications, Madagascar

GSMA’s Angela Wamola on Smartphone Affordability, AI, and Africa’s Policy Roadmap   

 “I think the biggest one is fiscal policy because that affects the affordability of both devices and data. Without addressing incentives, such as reducing taxes on customs duties for devices or removing excise duties on data, it will be difficult to lower costs.”

-Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA

GSMA’s Caroline Mbugua on Why the Digital Africa Index Matters for Africa’s Policymakers  

“So how can we create a harmonized policy and regulatory framework across Africa? What is needed except the political will? So what is needed first is the insights. Where do we have the fragmentation and who takes the action? The Digital Africa Index provides that, giving information on where the fragmentation is.”

– Caroline Mbugua, HSC, Senior Director, Public Policy and Communications, GSMA

Ralph Mupita on MTN’s New Frontier: Connectivity, Content, and African AI  

“One of the observations that we’ve reflected on is we’ve been so focused on connectivity and we’ve done a good job, as I said, on coverage. I think the next frontier is how we develop the digital services ourselves that we can have our customers consume. And for much, we will have a partnership approach to be sure. Partnership is part of our model. But if you think about content creation, whether it’s music or video, we want to participate in that.”

– Ralph Mupita, Group President and CEO, MTN Group

Regulating for the Public: Airtel Africa on Spectrum and Policy Harmonization   

“So I think I always try to remind people that this is a public service that needs to be regulated in the public interest. Every time you make a decision about setting up the cost of spectrum, the processes, the level of transparency, and so on, ask yourself one question: Am I regulating in the public interest? Are the policies I have in place responding to that requirement? If those public requirements are met, then you have made the right decision. I also like to stick to the principles, because they are what guide daily actions.”

-Daddy Mukadi, Chief Regulatory Officer, Airtel Africa

No Smartphone, No AI: Vodacom’s Shameel Joosub on Africa’s Access Gap  

“I think it is extremely important because while you can have AI, without connectivity you will never be able to take advantage of it. The underlying connectivity has to be in place. Africa is still significantly lacking in fibre infrastructure, so fibre, mobile, and even satellite all need to be part of the ecosystem. That full ecosystem is necessary for us to realise the benefits of AI across all parts of the continent.”

– Shameel Joosub, CEO, Vodacom Group

Trustonic’s Blueprint for De-Risking Smartphone Financing and Connecting Millions of Africans  

“It is not about punishment, it is about enablement. What we are seeing is that financiers want to provide devices to consumers to enable these 320 million African adults to access the internet and smart technology. But there is no credit vetting. So how do they do this? We need to remove the risk for them, and that is where Trustronic comes into play. We provide locking technology that enables Android device locking for the market across the continent.”

– Craige Fleischer, Executive Vice President, Middle East Africa, Trustonic

The IQ Era Belongs to Africa Too

MWC26 reinforced something we have been saying for years: Africa’s time is not coming. It is here. But momentum is not enough on its own. What MWC26 made equally clear is that the pace of Africa’s digital transformation depends on two things moving together: industry delivering on its commitments, and policy creating the conditions for those commitments to scale. What we need now is for that ambition to translate into coordinated, accountable action from both sides. Policy must move at the speed of the industry it is trying to enable. And industry must stay honest about what it takes to serve markets where the stakes are highest.

“One week. Hundreds of stages and exhibitors. And thousands of conversations. It’s clear, the global connectivity industry has never been more energised or more purposeful. MWC26 has shown us what happens when the world’s brightest minds come together around genuinely hard problems – from open and inclusive AI and realising the full potential of 5G, to keeping the world safe from the growing threat of fraud and cybercrime.”

– Vivek Badrinath, Director General, GSMA

At TechAfrica News, that is the story we will keep watching, keep questioning, and keep telling.

“Africa’s time is here.  And what made this MWC Barcelona 2026 different is that you could see it, touch it, and measure it. Now we need policy and industry to make sure that the decisions made in Barcelona actually land on the ground where they are needed most.”

–  Akim Benamara, Founder, TechAfrica News

“Every conversation, every partnership, every award reminded us that Africa is no longer asking to be included in the global tech story. It is writing its own chapters, on its own terms, with its own people leading the way. That is the story we will keep telling.“

– Joyce Onyeagoro, Senior Editor, TechAfrica News

Stay tuned with TechAfrica News for continued coverage, insights, and perspectives as the conversations from MWC Barcelona 2026 move from the show floor into action.

Source : www.techafricanews.com

• Africa counts more than 1,000 tech hubs in 2024, up from fewer than 600 in 2019
• Leading ecosystems in Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda attract capital and talent
• New projects across Morocco, Benin and Guinea intensify competition for digital investment

Africa accelerates the development of technology hubs to structure innovation and capture a larger share of the global digital economy. Governments invest in dedicated spaces that bring together startups, research centers, universities and large corporations. Moreover, policymakers seek to replicate, at a local scale, models inspired by global Silicon Valley ecosystems.

Pioneer hubs already shaping ecosystems

Some ecosystems already establish themselves as benchmarks.

In Nairobi, often referred to as “Silicon Savannah,” innovation relies on a structured ecosystem centered on fintech and mobile services. The success of M-Pesa drives Kenya’s position as one of the most advanced digital payments markets. The Konza Technopolis project illustrates this ambition with multi-billion-dollar long-term investment plans.

In Nigeria, Lagos confirms its role as the continent’s leading technology hub. The country captures a significant share of venture capital funding in Africa. This momentum also relies on dedicated zones such as Itana and the Ekiti Knowledge Zone, which structure environments designed to attract technology companies.

In Rwanda, Kigali implements a proactive strategy. The Kigali Innovation City project, valued at about $2 billion and spanning 70 hectares, aims to bring together universities, research centers and companies within an integrated ecosystem supported by attractive public policies.

These hubs share common features. They concentrate talent, host incubators and accelerators, provide dedicated infrastructure and attract increasing investor interest.

New generation of hubs emerges

Beyond these pioneers, a new wave of projects highlights intensifying competition among African countries.

In Morocco, Casa Tech Valley aims to structure a technology hub in Casablanca. Authorities plan to deploy the project across 6.5 hectares in the Sidi Othmane district. The project builds on the existing Casablanca Nearshore ecosystem and seeks to attract high-value technology investment while creating thousands of jobs.

In Benin, Sèmè City already operates as a functional model that combines education, entrepreneurship and research within a single space. Authorities expect at least 130,000 graduates from the CIIS by 2030. They also target the creation of more than 100,000 jobs, including at least one-third self-employment and 40% for women.

In Guinea, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Innovation de Guinée, launched in 2024, reflects efforts to structure a national technology ecosystem.

Other initiatives emerge across the continent. Projects include the Parc des technologies numériques de Diamniadio and Gabon’s planned technology village, which illustrate a now widespread dynamic.

Infrastructure-led strategy drives ecosystem growth

According to the International Trade Centre (ITC), Africa counted more than 1,000 technology hubs in 2024, compared with fewer than 600 recorded by the GSMA in 2019.

This increase signals a structural shift in strategy. Governments move beyond supporting startups and invest in infrastructure capable of shaping full ecosystems.

These hubs concentrate resources, foster synergies among stakeholders and gradually attract investment. As a result, they become critical levers to support sustainable innovation and strengthen Africa’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.

Source : www.ecofinagency.com