The message from this year’s MTN Business CTIO Roundtable Africa was clear and urgent: artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept for African businesses—it’s the decisive edge for those who want to lead today.
At the event held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Benard Acquah, Chief Transformative Officer at MTN, declared, “AI is not the future—it’s the present competitive edge.” His keynote set the tone for a powerful dialogue on how African enterprises can leverage AI to transform business strategy and operational efficiency.
Hosted by Madam Angela Opoku Mensah, Chief Enterprise Business Officer of MTN Ghana, the high-level event brought together business leaders under the theme: “AI-Driven Innovation: Transforming Business Strategy and Operational Efficiency.”
The session, moderated by Jacqueline Hanson-Kotei, Senior Manager for Enterprise Information, focused on the urgent need for African businesses to integrate artificial intelligence into their operations—not tomorrow, but today.
Benard Acquah’s Core Message: AI as a Strategic Weapon, Not a Buzzword
In his keynote, Benard Acquah urged business leaders to rethink how they approach AI. According to him, AI must be aligned with business strategy—not left in the hands of IT departments.
“Leaders who win are leaders who use AI as their compass,” he said.
His message was clear: asking “Where can we use AI?” is the wrong starting point. Instead, organizations must ask:
“Which strategic outcomes can AI help us achieve?”
He broke down his approach into seven transformative principles:
- Strategic Alignment over Experimentation:
AI must serve the company’s core goals, not just tech experimentation. “Don’t ask; where can we use AI, ask; which strategic outcome can AI help us achieve?” - Mobile-First Thinking:
Africa’s user base is largely mobile. AI innovations must meet users where they are. “Focus on mobile first AI applications. Thats where the majority of Africa’s digital users are.“ - Target Friction Points:
Identify manual processes, slow data flows, and operational bottlenecks.
“AI is not just replacing human work—it’s redesigning how we work smarter.” - Reimagine Automation:
Let AI handle repetitive tasks, freeing up your workforce for creativity, connection, and innovation. - Data First:
“Don’t build smart algorithms on shaky foundations.”
Your AI strategy is only as strong as your data integrity—it must be accessible, accurate, and relevant. - Start Small, Scale Strategically:
Identify high-impact use cases, test quickly, prove value, then scale intelligently. - Invest in People:
Africa’s greatest AI asset is its human capital.
“Augment, don’t replace. Train, don’t ignore.”
He wrapped up by emphasizing that AI won’t replace leaders—but leaders who use AI will replace those who don’t.
Panelists Echo the Urgency for Immediate AI Adoption
Panel discussions deepened the conversation with practical examples:
- Darlington Akogo (Founder & CEO, MinoHealth AI Labs) explained how AI is already enhancing healthcare delivery in Africa—screening, diagnosis, patient engagement, and even agricultural disease detection.
- Dr. Nefertiti Puplampo, Founder of the Institute of Advanced Teaching and Learning, argued that AI is transforming education by improving how students learn—not replacing teachers, but redefining traditional learning models.
- Abel Lomotey, CIO of GCB, issued a bold challenge:
“Do not relegate AI to your IT department—it’s your business.” - Dr. Stephane Nwolley, CEO of Npontu Technologies, declared that we are already entering the Fifth Industrial Revolution—a marketplace defined by hyper-personalization and AI-powered customer service.
He revealed how his organization uses an AI robot interviewer to ensure recruitment fairness, underscoring the values of fairness, transparency, privacy, and accuracy.
MTN’s Role in Driving the AI Business Ecosystem
Esther Yaba Andoh, Product Manager at MTN Ghana, highlighted MTN role as a catalyst for AI-powered growth stating the following:
- Driving innovation
- Mitigating risk
- Enabling scale
- Offering a partner ecosystem that simplifies sourcing and deployment
She emphasized the company’s commitment to building sustainable AI ecosystems in collaboration with African enterprises.
The Final Charge: Africa Must Shape AI
The roundtable concluded with a resounding call to action: businesses must focus on developing locally relevant solutions, investing in clean, indigenous data, and nurturing a new generation of AI-literate talent.
The message was clear—AI is no longer a futuristic concept. For African businesses, it is the here-and-now solution to achieving sustained relevance and competitive excellence.
