MTN Ghana held a one‑day artificial intelligence workshop for civil society organisations (CSOs) at its Accra head office on Tuesday, bringing together more than 100 participants to deepen understanding of AI and its societal implications.
Acting Senior Manager for Corporate Communications Efua Falconer opened the session, stressing that AI is reshaping every aspect of life and that no stakeholder should be left behind. “AI is transforming everything around us, and we cannot leave you behind,” she said, urging attendees to engage fully with the practical demonstrations on their laptops.
Falconer highlighted the role of CSOs as the voice of vulnerable groups, noting that while the government regulates and companies like MTN build the infrastructure, civil society must bring the lived experiences of communities into the AI conversation.
Senior Manager for Regulatory and Government Affairs Samuel Bartels, speaking for Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer Madam Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, challenged CSOs to make their knowledge visible online. He warned that only about 2 % of the data used to train large language models comes from Africa, and that hard‑bound reports and research remain hidden from AI systems if not digitised.
Data Scientist Elie Tetteh Wayoe presented MTN’s AI strategy, emphasising responsible adoption, governance, and human accountability. He noted that AI should augment human efforts rather than replace jobs, and that the company aims to make AI accessible and scalable for social good.
Participants were encouraged to apply the knowledge gained beyond the training room, to advocate for responsible AI use and to share African stories online so that AI models can learn from a broader, more representative dataset.
