Stephen Blewett handing over a laptop to one of the beneficiaries
MTN Ghana has awarded scholarships to 500 students and teachers under its Bright Scholarship Programme to remove financial barriers to higher education and promote skills development in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as vocational and technical education.
The beneficiaries comprise 300 tertiary students and 200 teachers. Each scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, a laptop and a stipend.
Speaking at the 2026 awards ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, said 5,194 people applied for the scholarships, 3,200 were shortlisted for interviews, and 500 were finally selected, including 14 persons with disabilities.
“Behind every scholarship is a person with a dream and a family hoping to see it fulfilled. Today, we celebrate what becomes possible when that dream gets a chance,” he said.
Mr. Blewett said the programme was designed to remove financial barriers to education, citing the experience of a former beneficiary who had to stay home for a year after secondary school but later graduated with distinction from the University for Development Studies with support from the MTN Ghana Foundation.
He urged the beneficiaries to remain disciplined, use technology and artificial intelligence responsibly to support their learning, and apply their knowledge to solve problems in their communities.
The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, commended MTN for complementing the government’s efforts to expand access to education, describing the programme as an investment in the workforce and leadership the country needs.
The Acting General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, said the programme was rebranded in 2017 and supports students in public tertiary institutions.
She said the initiative had also been extended to teachers through the Teachers Improvement Programme, with beneficiaries required to maintain a prescribed grade point average (GPA), which is reviewed annually.
Mrs. Fiagbenu said the Bright Scholarship Programme had awarded 1,220 scholarships since its inception, producing more than 200 first-class graduates, including 17 valedictorians. Some former beneficiaries are now serving as doctors.
The awards will be presented in two phases, beginning with the Accra ceremony, followed by another in the Ashanti Region for beneficiaries from the Ashanti and northern parts of the country.
By Fiifi Yorke