Accra, Ghana//-MTN Ghana has launched the second edition of its flagship innovation festival, MTN DigiFest 2026, and a three-day Tech Fair to promote innovation, digital skills, and collaboration across Ghana’s technology ecosystem.
The festival brings together technology companies, startups, academia, entrepreneurs, students, and other stakeholders to showcase emerging technologies, explore new digital opportunities, and develop solutions to challenges facing businesses and communities.
Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, officially opened the Tech Fair at MTN House in Accra, marking the start of a month-long programme that would run into October.
The Tech Fair features digital solutions and emerging technologies from MTN Ghana and its ecosystem partners, including the University of Ghana, local startups, and other technology companies.
The broader DigiFest programme features panel discussions, conferences, workshops, focus groups, masterclasses, and immersive experiences, as well as specialised events on gaming, artificial intelligence, and UI/UX design.
The festival also culminated in the grand finale of the MTN-University of Ghana AI Hackathon, which is focused on developing practical artificial intelligence solutions for local challenges.
MTN Ghana’s Chief Digital Officer, Ibrahim Misto, said DigiFest is an important component of the company’s digital transformation strategy and its effort to encourage innovation beyond conventional technology roles.
Reflecting on MTN Ghana’s journey, Mr Misto said the country’s technological landscape had changed significantly, with artificial intelligence, fintech, cloud computing, data and digital productivity tools now increasingly integrated into everyday life.
“If you told a business it could sell to the world, or that an AI agent could do your work, they would say that’s impossible. But here we are,” he said.
He said the pace of technological change made it difficult to predict what the next decade would look like, but argued that the future would be shaped by people willing to identify problems and act on new ideas.
“Innovation is not restricted to a role or a function. It starts with a question you ask, or a problem you identify, or a pattern that you see with a different angle or a different lens, and then having the courage and being bold to act on it,” he said.
According to Mr Misto, DigiFest provides opportunities for participants to gain practical skills, explore new technologies, and collaborate with partners, customers, employees, and communities.
MTN Ghana would showcase solutions across areas including gaming, streaming, television, applications, home solutions, cloud technology, and enterprise services, he said.
A major component of the festival is the MTN-University of Ghana AI Hackathon, which seeks to develop practical AI applications with potential uses in areas such as agriculture and healthcare.
Mr Misto said the initiative would also explore local-language solutions, reflecting the need for artificial intelligence applications to respond to Ghana’s specific social and economic environment.
He added that SMEs and entrepreneurs would equally benefit from masterclasses and capacity-building activities designed to strengthen their digital skills and ability to participate in the technology ecosystem.
Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, said Ghana had the talent, ideas, and growing technology ecosystem needed to become a major producer of digital solutions for Africa and the global market.
He said the rapid pace of technological change was creating significant opportunities for countries and businesses prepared to embrace innovation, but stressed that the focus should be on solutions that address genuine customer needs.
“Why do I say that? Because we have highly educated people who have amazing ideas. We need to bring those ideas to the market, not just in Ghana, but in Africa and the world. It’s not just one person or one company that can do that,” he said.
Mr Blewett said MTN Ghana’s digital business is growing at approximately 98 per cent year-on-year, making it the third-largest digital business within the MTN Group.
