The MTN Ghana Foundation has commissioned a GH¢946,189.71 ICT and Robotics Centre at the New Asafo M/A Basic School in Kumasi to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and improve digital learning opportunities for pupils.
The facility, commissioned on Thursday, July 16, is expected to benefit about 270 pupils directly while also serving other basic schools within the Kumasi Metropolis.
Delivering a speech on behalf of the Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer (CCSSO) of MTN Ghana, Adwoa Wiafe, the General Manager for the Northern Sector of MTN Ghana, Nii Adotey Mingle, said the project demonstrates the Foundation’s commitment to advancing education and digital inclusion across the country.
He said the intervention transformed a previously under-resourced ICT centre into a fully equipped STEM learning facility to ensure children have access to technology and practical digital skills regardless of their background.
According to him, the project was initiated after the then MTN Ghana Chief Executive Officer visited the school in 2022 during the company’s Y’ello Care staff volunteer programme. During the visit, the school management revealed that although an ICT centre had been constructed in 2017, it had never been equipped with computers or other essential teaching resources.
“Following an assessment by Seed Global Consult, the Foundation undertook a comprehensive refurbishment of the facility, including roofing repairs, repainting, improved security, electrical re-cabling and the installation of air-conditioning systems.”
The centre has also been furnished with 35 all-in-one computer workstations, refurbished desks and chairs, as well as robotics training equipment and kits to support practical STEM education.
Nii Adotey Mingle said the facility would enable pupils to acquire coding, robotics and digital literacy skills while promoting creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving abilities needed for the future workforce.
He added that “the centre would not only benefit pupils of New Asafo M/A Basic School but would also be accessible to learners from other basic schools within the Kumasi Metropolis for robotics and STEM training.”
He urged teachers to fully integrate the facility into classroom instruction to maximise its impact, stressing that technology becomes transformational when placed in the hands of committed educators.
He also encouraged the pupils to view the robotics centre as a gateway to future careers in engineering, science and technology, challenging them to use innovation to develop solutions to problems within their communities.
The headteacher of New Asafo M/A Basic School, Antwi Gabriel, expressed profound gratitude to the MTN Ghana Foundation for the intervention, describing the ICT and robotics centre as a major boost to teaching and learning. He assured the Foundation that the facility would be put to judicious use and properly maintained, noting that it would help bridge the gap between classroom learning and the modern digital world.
“This laboratory changes everything for us. Students will no longer read about technology in textbooks, they will have first-hand experience of it. They will learn, research and obtain vital skills that will prepare them for the future. The facility will equip our young students with the tools they need to compete, innovate and succeed in the 21st century.”
