MTN Group’s strategic intent is ‘leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress’. It was with this emphasis that we participated in a range of engagements at the 79^th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in the last week of September 2024

Discussions by global leaders at the UNGA underscored the need for collaboration and finding shared solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.

At the biggest event on the diplomatic calendar, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the UNGA a “place where solutions are made” and urged world leaders to work towards achieving less impunity and more accountability, less inequality and more justice, less uncertainty and more opportunity.

Here we provide an overview of the participation of MTN, which was represented in New York by Chairman Mcebisi Jonas; Group President & CEO Ralph Mupita; Senior Vice President for Markets Ebenezer Asante; MTN Nigeria Chairman Ernest Ndukwe; MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola; and Acting Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer and Group Executive for Investor Relations, Thato Motlanthe.

Bridging the digital divide

MTN participated in the Fall Meeting of the UN Broadband Commission on Sustainable Development, where key discussions focused on promoting broadband in developing countries.

Presided over by Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire, the meeting was themed ‘Towards a Resilient, Safe, and Inclusive Digital Future.’ It focused on building partnerships between the private sector, governments, civil society and international organisations.

Among the key focuses of the meeting were:

• Bridging the digital divide by overcoming broadband coverage and usage challenges
• Enhancing resilience against fibre cuts and disruptions
• Interoperability between terrestrial and satellite techs
• The uneven spread of technology in the age of opportunity and possibility
• The potential of AI and the need to build AI skills
• Developing business and innovation friendly policies
• Ensuring data ethics and  governance for customer safety
• Geopolitics and the requirement for unified standards
• Investments that are necessary and their returns versus the cost of capital
• The need for tax breaks to facilitate increased penetration.

Engaging with nation states

On the sidelines of the UNGA, MTN leaders met with numerous heads of state, ministers and business leaders from some of our most important markets. These included engagements with HE President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana; the communications ministers of South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda and Ghana; the international relations/foreign ministers of South Africa and Nigeria; as well as with South Africa’s minister of trade, industry and competition.

Among the broad-ranging topics of discussion were the development of continent-wide harmonised and predictable policies; device financing’ conducive policy and regulatory environments; the digital economy; market structure and consolidation; promoting investment and competition; visa regimes; and MTN’s contribution to the fiscus and infrastructure, skills, corporate social investment.

MTN also participated in business forums hosted by the governments of South Africa and Nigeria, which had a focus on strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors.

Collaborating for Impact

Our delegation also participated in various other initiatives on the sidelines of UNGA. Among them were:

The UN Women’s HeForShe Summit, where we put forward MTN’s deliberate work to progress diversity and inclusion and achieve gender equity by 2030.  We highlighted the vital role women have played in building MTN over the last 30 years and the need for the world to focus on education and male allyship to eliminate stereotypes and biases.

The Forward Africa Leaders Symposium, where discussions focused on investing in critical digital public infrastructure and strategic partnerships to advance a unified digital economy.

The Economist Impact Panel Discussion, addressing digital inequalities and how they can be addressed to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The Africa-America Institute Awards, which recognised efforts to strengthen the capacity of Africans and promote the continent’s development through higher education and skills training.

Engaging in the US Capitol

While in the United States, the MTN also took the opportunity to visit Washington DC to meet with a number of officials to discuss geopolitical and economic issues, including the war in Sudan, which is in need of much more humanitarian aid and support for the economy. Our meetings included engaging with representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the Congressional Black Caucus, the National Security Council and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.