MTN to build 80 new sites across the five regions of the north as part of a $1.1bn investment

MTN Ghana is to construct 80 new network sites across the five regions of the north this year as part of a $1.1 billion investment plan to expand coverage and strengthen service quality nationwide.

Senior Manager in charge of Base Station Subsystems Mr. Emmanuel Kwei Afutu announced the rollout as the company marks 30 years in Ghana. He said $380 million has been earmarked for network expansion in 2026 alone.

According to Mr. Afutu, the northern build will be spread across all five regions. The plan includes 38 new sites in the Northern Region, 17 in the Savannah Region, 14 in the Upper East Region, and 11 in the North East Region. He added that an additional site is planned for the Upper West Region, bringing the total for the north to 80.

Nationwide, MTN is targeting 500 new sites in 2026, which Mr. Afutu described as one of the company’s largest infrastructure deployments in recent years.

He said the focus is not just on numbers but on what the new coverage will enable.

"The sites are expected to help farmers reach markets, students access online learning, businesses process digital payments, and families stay connected. In areas that have faced security challenges, he said, improved connectivity will also support communication and safety for communities and security services."

The expansion comes as demand for digital services continues to rise.

He said in the first half of 2026, MTN mobile money transaction value grew 44.4% year-on-year, while transaction volumes were up 23.3%.

Mr. Afutu said the investment is being supported by strong financial performance.

He said MTN Ghana’s revenue rose 32.3% to 15 billion cedis in the first six months of 2026. Profit after tax increased 46.8% to 5.1 billion cedis adding that the company paid 5.6 billion cedis in direct and indirect taxes over the period.

Mr. Afutu said beyond infrastructure, MTN is also investing in people through the MTN Ghana Foundation noting that the initiatives include the MTN Skills Academy, which aims to train more than 100,000 young people in digital and financial skills, and the Bright Scholarship, which has supported over 1,200 students.

He said the company has also rolled out water, sanitation and hygiene projects in schools across the north.

Mr. Afutu said challenges of affordability and digital literacy remain and called for continued collaboration with government, regulators and communities.

“As Ghana grows, we will grow with Ghana; our ambition has moved from simply connecting people to connecting people to opportunities," he said.

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