Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, has lauded MTN Ghana for three decades of transformative impact on the nation’s telecommunications landscape while issued a firm reminder that market leadership comes with a “higher standard” of accountability to the Ghanaian consumer.
Speaking at the 30th-anniversary launch of MTN’s operations in Ghana, the Minister combined lighthearted wit with a serious policy agenda. He began by joking about the company’s “You Made It Happen” slogan, noting that while MTN has achieved much, it has yet to succeed in teaching the event’s MC, Lexis Bill, how to dance a feat he doubted even another 30 years could resolve.
Turning to the significance of the milestone, Hon. Samuel Nartey George extended congratulations on behalf of the government and people of Ghana to the board, staff, and partners of MTN. He traced the evolution of the sector from a few fixed lines in the early 1990s to a “modern, mobile-first, data-driven ecosystem” serving over 40 million subscriptions.
The Minister paid tribute to the pioneers of this transformation, specifically highlighting the foundational work of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama. He recalled that the President, during his tenure as Minister for Communications and the first Board Chair of the National Communications Authority (NCA) from 1998 to 2001, helped lay the regulatory bedrock that allowed private capital to invest at scale.
“The progress we see today rests on work that began in that era,” the Minister stated, noting that successive administrations have since carried that mantle forward.
Addressing MTN’s status as a Significant Market Power (SMP), Hon. Hon. Nartey George urged the company to view the designation as a testament to its scale and investment rather than a criticism. However, he was candid about the responsibilities attached to that status.
“As Minister, I would not be doing my job if I did not speak frankly,” he said. “The public and the Ministry will hold MTN to a higher standard than any other operator on questions of pricing, quality of service, network availability, and the fair treatment of competitors.”
He highlighted persistent consumer grievances regarding the high cost of data, dropped calls, and inconsistent coverage outside major cities. He expressed the government’s expectation that MTN’s recently announced $1.1 billion network investment program would result in “measurable improvement that consumers can feel in their wallets and on their devices” as early as the third quarter of this year.
Looking toward the future, Hon. Samuel Nartey George revealed ambitious targets for the country’s digital infrastructure. He announced the government’s goal to achieve 70% population density coverage of 5G by the time Ghana celebrates its 70th independence anniversary in ten months.
He emphasized that the government has already taken steps to facilitate this by removing exclusivity barriers that previously barred MTN from the 5G space.
“In less than 12 months, under the leadership of President Mahama, we granted MTN additional spectrum and tech neutrality,” the Minister noted. “Cabinet unanimously approved taking away exclusivity… it is now up to you to take advantage of that.”
The Minister acknowledged that industry challenges, such as frequent fiber cuts and the need for cybersecurity, cannot be solved by one company alone. He called for a “shared responsibility” between the government, regulators, and operators to protect infrastructure and bridge the digital skills gap among the youth.
Concluding his address, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, a 25-year customer of the network himself offered his warmest congratulations to the telecom giant. He urged that the next 30 years be measured not just by shareholder returns, but by the tangible improvement in the quality of life for every Ghanaian.