MTN Ghana has awarded 500 scholarships to students and teachers for the 2026/2027 academic year, with Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak describing the initiative as an important investment in Ghana’s future workforce, leadership and national development.
The scholarships, awarded under the MTN Bright Scholarship programme, comprise 300 awards for brilliant but needy students in public universities and 200 for teachers pursuing further qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as vocational and technical fields.
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The package covers full tuition and accommodation, a laptop and a stipend to help beneficiaries meet other educational expenses.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Dr. Apaak said the programme demonstrated how collaboration between government and the private sector could help address financial barriers that prevent talented young people from accessing higher education.
Today’s ceremony celebrates excellence, integration and opportunity. More than that, it is a testament that stakeholders can achieve together,” he said.
He noted that although many young people had the talent and potential to excel academically, financial difficulties often stood between them and their educational aspirations.
He said scholarship programmes such as MTN Bright scholarship were important because they helped deserving students continue their education despite the financial circumstances of their families.
According to him, removing financial barriers was essential to promoting fairness and expanding opportunities for young people from different backgrounds.
By removing financial barriers in this community of students, they will understand that equity and equality have the same deep potential,” he said.
Dr. Apaak reaffirmed the government’s commitment to education, saying public investment remained important but could not, on its own, meet every need within the sector.
We do not pretend that we have the capacity to do so. We need partnerships,” he said.
He commended MTN Ghana and the MTN Foundation for supporting education and urged more companies to contribute to national development through similar initiatives.
“want to say thank you, MTN, for thinking about the future of our dear Republic,” he said. adding that “Every scholarship awarded is not only to support one student; it is an investment in the workforce, in leadership and in the development of our nation’s needs for tomorrow.”
The Deputy Minister said private-sector support complemented the government’s efforts and could help ensure that more students had the opportunity to develop their abilities and contribute to the country.
He also called on corporate Ghana to view its role in national development as extending beyond paying taxes to building meaningful partnerships with public institutions.
Initiatives like this one show what is possible when businesses see themselves not merely as taxpayers, but as genuine partners,” he said, urging more companies to follow that path.
Stephen Blewett, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, said the programme was designed to ensure that financial difficulties did not prevent talented young people from pursuing higher education.
He cited the experience of a scholarship beneficiary who had spent a year at home because his family could not afford university fees but later gained admission to the University for Development Studies with support from the MTN Ghana Foundation.
The beneficiary subsequently graduated with distinction and received awards as the overall best graduating student at the School of Pharmacy, as well as the best student in pharmacology and herbal medicine.
The talent was already there for this young man, so was the determination. The scholarship from us helped him to overcome and remove the financial barrier in his way,” Blewett said. “That is why we are here, to help ensure that financial hardship does not bring a promising education to an end,” he added.
He stated that the programme reflected MTN’s appreciation of the support Ghanaians had given the company over the past three decades and its desire to contribute to the country’s future development.
Today is one way we can say thank you. Not simply by looking back, but by helping another family look ahead and hope,” he added.
Scholarships to cover tuition and accommodation
Under the programme, beneficiaries receive full tuition and accommodation support, a laptop and stipends to assist with their educational expenses.
Georgina Fiagbenu, Acting General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, said the programme was intended to support students throughout their academic journeys, subject to the applicable eligibility and performance requirements.
She explained that the initiative had evolved over the years, with the company bringing student scholarships and teacher development support under the same programme to widen its reach.
According to her, the scholarships are generally targeted at students in public tertiary institutions, particularly those who demonstrate academic ability but face financial constraints.
The programme also supports teachers seeking to upgrade their qualifications and improve their ability to deliver lessons effectively.
Blewett urged the beneficiaries to make the most of the opportunity by working hard, seeking guidance when necessary and applying their knowledge to practical challenges.
He also encouraged students to use artificial intelligence and other digital technologies responsibly, stressing that technology should support learning rather than replace independent thinking and academic integrity.
To the teachers, he said the opportunity to deepen their knowledge could have a wider impact by improving the quality of education delivered to learners in their classrooms.
Those who will help others grow deserve opportunities to grow too,” he said.
More than 1,200 scholarships awarded since inception
Fiagbenu said the scholarship initiative had supported beneficiaries since the early years of the company’s operations and was formally branded as the MTN Bright Scholarship programme in 2017.
Since the programme began, a total of 1,220 scholarships have been awarded.
The beneficiaries have recorded notable academic achievements, including 70 valedictorians and 299 first-class graduates. A further 47 beneficiaries graduated with second-class upper honours, while 60 obtained second-class lower honours.
Blewett said the achievements demonstrated the potential of young people when financial barriers to education were reduced.
He called on corporate Ghana to complement government efforts by investing in education and creating opportunities for young people to acquire the skills needed for national development.
He also urged the beneficiaries to support others when they were in a position to do so, noting that the benefits of education extended beyond individual achievement to families, communities and the wider economy.
The MTN Ghana Foundation identifies education, health and economic empowerment as key areas of its corporate social investment, with the scholarship programme forming part of its long-term contribution to human capital development.
The company said the latest awards reflected its continued commitment to supporting students and teachers while celebrating its 30-year presence in Ghana.
