MTN Ghana’s Chief Digital Officer Ibrahim Misto has issued a rallying call for Africa to take ownership of its digital identity, urging stakeholders to build an ecosystem that’s secure, inclusive, and authentically African rather than continuing to allow external forces to shape the continent’s technological future.
Speaking at the 10th Anniversary of the MOBEX Africa Tech Expo and Innovation Awards on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at the Kempinski Gold Coast City in Accra, Misto framed digital sovereignty as Africa’s defining challenge for the next decade. His message wasn’t subtle. The continent has spent too long allowing others to define its digital presence, and that needs to end.
The context matters here. Ghana now has over 38 million active mobile connections for a population under 35 million, reflecting widespread multiple SIM card usage, yet the infrastructure supporting this connectivity remains vulnerable to external control and internal fragmentation. It’s a paradox that Africa is digitally connected yet digitally dependent, consuming technology rather than creating it on its own terms.
MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy places digital inclusion at the heart of its operations, aimed at leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress. But rhetoric needs capital backing, and MTN Ghana has invested over $1 billion in network infrastructure since 2021, transforming from a traditional mobile operator into what Misto described as a comprehensive technology company. In 2025 alone, the company committed US$240 million to expand fibre, 4G, and 5G connectivity across Ghana.
These investments aren’t just about faster downloads. They’re building the foundation for what Misto envisions as a distinctly African digital ecosystem. Innovations showcased at MTN DigiFest 2025 include the MoMo Business App for SMEs, Abena AI (Ghana’s first multilingual voice assistant fluent in six local languages), and youth-focused eSports initiatives. Abena AI represents something particularly significant: technology that speaks to Africans in their own languages rather than forcing them to adapt to imported linguistic frameworks.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Okudzeto Ablakwa commended MOBEX Africa for a decade of advancing innovation, stressing that Africa must move beyond dependence on foreign digital systems. His perspective frames digital sovereignty not as technical preference but as strategic necessity. In the 21st century, he argued, sovereignty extends beyond territorial integrity to encompass digital autonomy and the ability to shape technological destiny.
The minister underscored Ghana’s leadership role in promoting digital integration through frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS). These initiatives suggest that digital sovereignty isn’t just about infrastructure ownership but also about creating African payment systems that don’t route through Western financial intermediaries.
Mobile money users have grown from 4.9 million in 2015 to 24 million in 2025, with transaction values reaching GH₵3 trillion in 2024, now accounting for nearly half of retail payments nationwide, according to Bank of Ghana Second Deputy Governor Matilda Asante-Asiedu. That’s transformative growth, but it also raises questions about data sovereignty. Who controls that transaction data? Where is it stored? Who profits from analyzing consumer patterns?
MOBEX Africa CEO George Spencer Quaye recounted the platform’s decade-long journey of promoting digital inclusion and innovation across the continent, expressing gratitude to partners who supported the initiative through challenging times including the pandemic and economic uncertainty. His observation that ten years of consistency in Ghana’s tech space is no small feat reflects the reality that African tech initiatives often struggle for sustained funding and attention.
Yet challenges persist beyond funding. Fiber-optic cable theft and construction damage continue disrupting network stability, with MTN reporting hundreds of fiber cuts annually that hamper service quality in affected areas. Power reliability remains inconsistent, forcing telecommunications companies to invest heavily in backup systems that might be unnecessary with more stable electricity supply. These aren’t just technical problems; they’re symptoms of infrastructure gaps that limit Africa’s digital sovereignty regardless of ownership structures.
The African fintech market presents enormous opportunities. The sector is projected to reach $230 billion by 2025, creating prospects for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and underserved populations. But whether that value accrues to African companies or gets captured by multinational platforms operating across the continent remains the open question that Misto’s digital sovereignty push attempts to address.
What makes this moment different from previous calls for African technological self-determination? Perhaps it’s the recognition that digital dependency isn’t just about pride or principle but about economic control in an increasingly data-driven global economy. Or maybe it’s simply that Africa now has enough digital infrastructure and technical expertise that sovereignty becomes achievable rather than aspirational.
The test will come not in speeches at conferences but in whether African nations can build interoperable systems, establish robust data protection frameworks, develop local technical talent at scale, and create business environments where African tech companies can compete globally. Misto’s call for digital sovereignty acknowledges these challenges while insisting they’re surmountable with collective commitment and sustained investment.
