The MTN Ghana Foundation has broken ground on a GHS 9.7 million student resource centre at the University for Development Studies, aiming to expand digital skills training in the Northern Region as Ghana grapples with youth unemployment despite rising internet access.
The facility, scheduled for completion in eight months, will house a computer lab with 70 laptops, robotics equipment and video conferencing links to the UDS Nyankpala Campus. Students from UDS and other institutions in the region will be able to access courses through the MTN Skills Academy platform, with the centre designed to bridge what organizers describe as a persistent digital skills gap.
Robert Kuzoe, Senior Manager of MTN Ghana Foundation, framed the project against the backdrop of Ghana’s demographic reality, noting that 57% of the population is under 25. He pointed to the paradox facing policymakers: internet penetration has reached 69.8% and government programmes like the One Million Coders initiative are underway, yet youth unemployment remains stubbornly high.
“We are laying the foundation for a future where Ghana’s youth are equipped with the skills and opportunities to lead in the digital age,” Kuzoe said at Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony. The centre aims to turn young people into what he called creators, innovators and leaders in the digital economy, though translating access to equipment into actual job creation will depend on factors well beyond the facility itself.
Professor Muniru Alhassan, Dean at the UDS Nyankpala Campus, described the centre as a hub for developing both technical and social skills. He emphasized the changing nature of work and the need for students to blend theoretical knowledge with practical experience, positioning the facility as a way to make UDS graduates more competitive in the job market.
The centre will offer digital learning spaces intended to foster innovation and collaboration, with non-UDS students in the Northern Region also eligible to register for training programmes. Whether the facility can meaningfully impact regional youth unemployment rates will likely depend on how effectively the training aligns with actual job market demands and how many students can be accommodated once operations begin.
This marks the MTN Ghana Foundation’s latest education-focused intervention. The foundation, established in 2007, has completed 178 major projects across Ghana, concentrating on health, education and economic empowerment initiatives. Corporate foundations have become increasingly active in Ghana’s education sector, particularly in digital skills development where government infrastructure often lags behind demand.
The eight-month construction timeline puts the projected opening around mid-2026, assuming no significant delays. Once operational, the centre’s impact will be measured not just by the number of students trained but by their subsequent employment outcomes and whether the skills taught match what employers are actually seeking in Northern Ghana’s evolving job market.
The facility represents a bet that access to modern digital tools and structured training can help address youth unemployment, though economists generally point to broader structural issues in Ghana’s economy, including limited formal sector job creation and mismatches between educational outputs and labor market needs.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
