Ghana to set up ICT centres

The MTN Ghana Foundation, a subsidiary and management structure of Multi-Telecommunication Network, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is to set up ten ICT Learning Centres across the country, says All Africa.com.

The MTN ICT Learning Centres project was funded at the cost of $669 350 with a commitment of $70 000 by the UNDP.

Malcom Frazier Appeadu, co-ordinator of the MTN Ghana Foundation, says the foundation focuses on health and education projects to improve the quality of life of Ghanaians and that a centre would be sited in a district in each of the ten regions.

Emirates Telecommunications is to bid for a stake in Morocco's Meditel as it looks to expand in the Middle East and Africa, reports The Financial Times.

Emirates Telecom (Etisalat) will also continue to pursue the telecom licence in Iran it was stripped of last week.

Mohammed Hassan Omran, Etisalat chairman, says: “We are looking for opportunities in the Middle East and Africa, especially at this time there are some good assets.”

Nigeria's shareholding in the Regional African Satellite project has dropped to 2.6%, behind many African countries, according to the director-general of the Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation (Rascom), Dr Jones Kilimbe, states The Punch.

Nigeria, which had more than a 6% shareholding at the beginning of the project, is now ranked in 16th place.

Kilimbe calls on Nigeria to invest in the commercial arm of Rascom as it was set to release a replacement of its satellite in June 2010, with plans to launch more satellites as backups.