The 2025 Economic Governance School training for public officials has taken place in Accra.
The initiative, the result of a collaboration between South Africa’s National School of Government (NSG), Kenya School of Government (KSG) and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), is designed to strengthen senior leadership in the public sector and promote inclusive economic governance across the African continent.
The one-week programme of peer learning, policy dialogue and institutional exchange brought together legislators, politicians and senior officials at all levels of public service from Ghana, South Africa and Kenya. It was sponsored by the MTN Group.
In addition to sponsoring the NSG, KSG and GIMPA programme, the Group also contributed to the discourse, with senior executives participating in sessions on telecommunications, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and infrastructure financing.
Mr. Stephen Blewett, CEO, MTN Ghana, and CIO Bernard Acquah were part of the panels that explored the intersection of technology and governance in which Discussions focused on the digital transformation of public services and the role of AI and infrastructure investment in supporting state capacity and economic inclusion.
Addressing participants, Nompilo Morafo, MTN Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, noted that as a pan-African business entity, the MTN Group understood that Africa’s growth depended not only on investment in infrastructure, but also in people and institutions.
Furthermore, Mr. Morafo said, when civil servants, policymakers and administrators got equipped with high-quality training, their collective decisions shaped a more equitable, innovative and resilient future for their nations
“At MTN, we believe that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. Therefore, in our view, education, training and strong institutions form the foundation for sustained progress,” he added.
Also present at the event was Ms. Pinky Kekana, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration. In a statement, Ms. Kekana described the initiative as a valuable platform for engagement on governance challenges, noting that the Economic Governance School offered a unique platform for elected and appointed public officers to engage in critical analysis and reflective dialogue on the complex challenges confronting governance.
Prof. Samuel Kwadwo Bonsu, Director, GIMPA, applauded MTN’s contribution and the cross-sector collaboration underpinning the programme. Prof. Bonsu said GIMPA was proud to serve, not only as a centre of learning but also as a convening ground for critical reflection and collaboration.
MTN’s involvement in the training programme demonstrates its commitment to advancing Africa’s development. It also reflects its broader approach to driving Africa’s progress through investment in leadership and institutional capacity.
As part of the training programme, participants visited the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, which is charged with coordinating the creation of a single continental market for goods and services across Africa.
And, as the training programme coincided with MTN Group’s flagship 21 Days of Y’ello Care programme, participants also visited the MTN Ghana-supported Opportunities Industrialisation Centre (OICG), which provides vocational, digital and entrepreneurial skills training for young persons to enable them earn a decent and dignified living.
