MTN Ghana to invest $1.1bn over three years, deploy 500 new sites in 2026

MTN Ghana plans to invest US$1.1 billion over the next three years to expand and strengthen its network, including deploying 500 new cell sites nationwide in 2026.

The company’s Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Joseph Dogbe, announced the investment at a stakeholder forum in Wa as MTN marks 30 years of operations in Ghana.

He said the investment would enhance network capacity and resilience, with approximately US$380 million earmarked for 2026.

Mr Dogbe said MTN Ghana now connects more than 32 million subscribers, adding that its three-decade journey had evolved from providing connectivity to supporting economic and social opportunities.

He also highlighted Mobile Money (MoMo )'s growing contribution to financial inclusion and economic participation.

“In the first half of this year, MoMo transaction value grew by 44.4% year-on-year, with active MoMo users up 3.1% and transaction volumes up 23.3%,” he said.

“For many, MoMo has become more than a payment platform. It is a gateway to economic participation,” he added.

Mr Dogbe stressed that cybersecurity and data privacy remained essential to maintaining customer trust as digital financial services expanded.

Strong financial performance

MTN Ghana recorded strong financial growth in the first half of 2026, with service revenue increasing by 32.3% to GH¢15 billion.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 47.1% to GH¢9.3 billion, while profit after tax increased by 46.8% to GH¢5.1 billion.

“We share these numbers not to boast, but because they matter to you directly: a financially strong MTN Ghana is a Ghana that can keep investing,” Mr Dogbe said.

The company also paid GH¢5.6 billion in direct and indirect taxes and GH¢384.7 million in fees and levies during the six months.

Investment in skills and communities

Beyond its core telecommunications operations, Mr Dogbe highlighted initiatives by the MTN Ghana Foundation and other company programmes aimed at supporting education, digital skills and community development.

The MTN Skills Academy is targeting 100,000 young people for digital skills training, while the Bright Scholarship Scheme has supported more than 1,200 students with fees, accommodation, stipends and laptops.

MTN has also increased the prize package for its Heroes of Change initiative. The overall winner’s prize has risen from GH¢100,000 to GH¢400,000, while category winners will receive GH¢200,000 and every finalist GH¢100,000. New award categories have also been introduced for sustainability and digital innovation.

In the Upper West Region, Wa Catholic Primary School benefited from the company’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme during MTN’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care initiative.

Other initiatives highlighted included DigiFest 2026, an artificial intelligence capacity-building programme for media practitioners and civil society organisations, digital skills programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises, and partnerships with festivals such as Dumba and Kobine.

As part of its 30th anniversary activities, MTN has also extended Customer Service Week into Customer Service Month.

Sustainability and stakeholder engagement

Mr Dogbe said MTN’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments were integrated into its business operations, under the pillars of Doing for People, Doing it Right, Doing for Growth and Doing for Planet.

The forum also featured a panel discussion involving senior manager Simon Amoh, network engineer Augustine Kontoma, MoMo manager David Nana Addai and retail enterprise manager Aseye Kwame Akude.

The discussion covered the company’s activities and its work in telecommunications, digital financial services and customer engagement.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.