MTN Group Ltd. is expanding investments in digital skills, artificial intelligence and inclusive education across Africa as the continent’s largest mobile operator seeks to strengthen workforce readiness and broaden participation in the digital economy.
The telecommunications company unveiled a series of initiatives spanning South Sudan, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, targeting barriers to education, digital inclusion and youth employment through partnerships with governments, universities and non-profit organizations.
The programs reflect a broader shift among African telecom operators from providing connectivity alone to investing in digital capabilities that support long-term economic growth and create demand for advanced digital services.
In South Sudan, MTN partnered with the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, the Ministry of ICT and Postal Services, and Educare South Sudan to launch the zero-rated Junub Academy National E-Learning Platform, allowing students and teachers to access government-approved educational content without paying for mobile data.
The initiative is expected to expand access to education in one of Africa’s most challenging operating environments, where infrastructure deficits and limited internet affordability have constrained digital learning.
In Congo Brazzaville, MTN is targeting the continent’s growing artificial intelligence sector through investments in young technology innovators. Working with the Giovani & Mamie Foundation and BantuHub, the company organized GMU Tech Week 2026 in Pointe-Noire, bringing together more than 200 participants for training in emerging technologies, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The programme focused on equipping participants with practical AI and technology skills while encouraging the development of locally relevant digital solutions.
In Côte d’Ivoire, MTN partnered with the National Institute for the Promotion of the Blind to establish a Braille multimedia room equipped with adapted computers and assistive technologies, enabling visually impaired students to access digital learning resources and improve their digital literacy.
The initiative forms part of the company’s broader strategy to promote inclusive access to technology by ensuring people with disabilities are not excluded from the digital economy.
Meanwhile, in Benin, MTN is expanding its TITA Digital Skills programme, launched in 2022 through the MTN Foundation in partnership with Digital Valley and public universities.
The initiative provides training in coding, digital entrepreneurship, content creation and innovation, and has trained more than 1,000 students and young graduates. According to MTN, many participants have secured employment across local industries, while others have joined the company’s Benin operations.
Collectively, the programmes are intended to bridge the gap between digital skills development and employment by creating pathways into entrepreneurship, innovation and formal jobs.
MTN said its Skills Academy now operates in 11 African markets and has reached more than 350,000 learners through partnerships with ICT hubs, educational institutions and technology ecosystem partners.
MTN said the long-term objective is to ensure digital skills translate into employment, entrepreneurship and broader economic participation, supporting Africa’s transition to a more digitally enabled economy.
