Monday, December 1, 2008

MTN LAUNCHES ICT CENTRES FOR 10 REGIONS IN GHANA


The MTN Ghana Foundation has formally launched its Information Communication Technology( ICT) learning centers in Accra. This new project will involve the construction of ten replicable ICT learning centers in each region of Ghana. Some of the equipment for the centre includes 20 computers, printer, photocopiers, digital camera with video compatibility, scanner, USBs among others. Ten districts, one from each region will be the beneficiaries of this service. The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana Brett Goschen disclosed that the main objectives of the centre is to empower Ghanaian communities through ICT education, to deploy ICT literacy to deprived communities in support of government’s effort at bridging the digital divide between the served and under-served and to enhance e-content development for networked learning and its associated benefits. He added that it was the believe of MTN that the ICT centre will also help in the overall objectives of poverty reduction and support the achievement of the MDGs. Mr. Goschen said his outfit was committing an amount of $670,000 to the project in partnership with the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) and supported by the Ministries of Education, Science and Sports, Communications, Information and National Orientation. He urged students and teachers in the project areas to avail themselves to the centre and upgrade their skills in ICT. The UNDP resident in Ghana Mr. Daouda Toure said, in line with Ghana’s new educational reforms, “this project would deliver equitable access to education, improvenment in standards of teaching and learning in beneficiary communities and increase utilization of ICT technologies towards developing a highly informed and knowledge based society”. He entreated citizenries at community levels to take ICT seriously to help them take advantage of its immense trade and service opportunities. The UK High Commissioner to South Africa and patron of the MTN –Ghana Foundation who launched the project said it is increasingly critical for people across the world to be ICT literate in order to function effectively in this globalize world. He encouraged corporate institutions in Ghana to lend their support to the important task of bridging the digital divide. The Corporate Services Executive Director of MTN, Mawuena Dumor said “being mindful of the responsibilities that come with our leadership role in global telecommunications, MTN has sought to execute on sustainable social development initiatives that would benefit the broad spectrum of Ghanaians everywhere we go”. MTN is a global telecommunication group operating in 21 countries in Africa, Asia and the middle East.

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