By Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
The Head of Assets Management at American Tower Corporation (ATC) Ghana, Ivan Nortey, says ATC Ghana is proud to support government’s vision of an inclusive digital economy while encouraging many academically promising young people to go into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) space.
He made the statement at the inauguration of the ATC Ghana Digital Communities Centre at Mangu, a suburb of Wa in the Upper West Region.
Mr. Nortey, who stood in for the CEO of ATC Ghana, Mr. Ashutosh Singh, at the ceremony, indicated that the Digital Communities project is in tandem with the Government of Ghana’s vision to digitalise all aspects of the Ghanaian economy under its Digital Ghana Agenda.
He said ATC Ghana has a conviction that supporting digital literacy, particularly in communities where it operates, as part of its sustainability goals is the right thing to do and assured that his organisation remains committed to building more Digital Communities centres in the years to come.
The centre, which can seat ten students and a teacher at a time, is equipped to provide access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services and training to pupils in beneficary basic schools and residents in underserved area(s).
Mr. Nortey told the gathering that since 2018, ATC Ghana has completed 10 ICT centres, which are being used across the country, in Battor, Savelugu, Jamasi, Asuom, Makola, Bawdua, Gaduri, Berekum, Akontombra and Tarkwa. He announced that this year, an additional nine Digital Communities projects have been completed, one of which is the Mangu one.
The Wa Municipal Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Suleyman Mujeeb said, “the inauguration of the ICT Centre is a watershed moment in our educational landscape” and pointed out that “it signifies synergy, innovation and shared vision of fostering scholastic and technological advancement within our community”. He described the Centre as “a gateway to a brighter future”.
The Manager of the Methodist Education Unit, Rev. Monica Achana, assured ATC Ghana that the centre will be utilised for the benefit of society and added that it will be maintained to prolong its longevity by putting in place a committee for maintenance.
The Headmistress of Mangu Methodist Primary School, Madam Monica Danaah, stated that the primary and junior high sections of Mangu Methodist School are proud to be part of an endeavour to bridge the digital gap and thanked ATC Ghana for its unwavering commitment to society.
The Headmaster of Mangu Methodist Junior High School, Salifu Mustapha, emphasised that the facility will enhance teaching and learning because they are not going to teach in abstracts but with practical equipment. He appealed to public-spirited individuals and entities for a fence wall, potable water, a kindergarten block for the school, and electricity to be connected to the primary section.
The Paramount Chief of Dorimom, Alhaji Naa Seidu Tungbani, who chaired the function, expressed the hope that the ICT Centre will be of immense benefit to the Mangu and Kambale communities in general and the Methodist School in Mangu in particular.
Some of the pupils of Mangu Methodist Primary and Junior High Schools who spoke to GBC at the inauguration were highly elated about the ICT Centre in their school and said the facility will greatly help to improve their ICT skills and learning in general.
The pupils gave musical renditions and danced to spice up the event. Among those who graced the occasion was the Chief of Mangu, Naa Abu Lanhinkpani.
