MTN Ghana‘s rollout of its new, more affordable data packages hit a major snag this week, prompting swift intervention from the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George. The glitch, which disrupted access to key data bundles including the highly anticipated ‘399 bundle’, sparked public frustration and technical confusion among subscribers.
At a high-level meeting with MTN executives, including Ms. Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, the Minister was briefed on what went wrong. Contrary to speculation, Wiafe confirmed that “the incident was not a security breach, but rather a systemic failure that affected customers’ ability to purchase new bundles,” with some users unable to complete transactions and others receiving inaccurate or confusing messages.
The ‘399 bundle’, targeted at high-data users like students and content creators, was one of the major casualties of the crash. “Some subscribers could not see or access the 399 bundle,” Wiafe acknowledged.
Three core system one main and two supporting services reportedly crashed upon going live, despite successfully passing all User Acceptance Testing (UAT) in the sandbox environment. MTN has since restored all affected systems, with efforts now focused on reconfiguring services and redoing subscriber data balances.
Minister George, who has remained visible on social media throughout the crisis, stressed the importance of clear communication to manage public expectations and backlash.
“Swift resolution is key,” he said, adding that he has urged MTN to ensure systems are “fully operational and taking new subscriptions before the close of day today.”
The Minister expressed optimism that MTN’s services will be back to full capacity by midnight, barring any unforeseen setbacks.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the public informed and supporting digital access and affordability across Ghana.
“We assure Ghanaians of continued engagement with MTN to ensure prompt resolution,” the Ministry said in a statement, underscoring the government’s broader goal of a resilient, inclusive digital economy.
