The MTN Ghana Foundation has commissioned a GHC946,189.71 ICT and Robotics Centre at New Asafo M/A Basic School in Kumasi to boost science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and expand digital learning opportunities for pupils.

The facility, commissioned on Thursday (16 July), is expected to directly benefit about 270 pupils while serving as a robotics and STEM training hub for other basic schools across the Kumasi Metropolis.

Speaking on behalf of MTN Ghana’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, Adwoa Wiafe, the company’s Northern Sector General Manager, Nii Adotey Mingle, said the project reflects the Foundation’s commitment to improving digital inclusion and equipping young learners with skills for the future.

He said the project transformed an under-resourced ICT laboratory into a modern STEM learning centre after the school’s management revealed during MTN’s 2022 Y’ello Care volunteer programme that a computer laboratory built in 2017 had never been equipped.

Following an assessment by Seed Global Consult, the Foundation refurbished the facility by repairing the roof, repainting the building, improving security, replacing electrical wiring and installing air-conditioning systems.

The centre has also been equipped with 35 all-in-one computer workstations, refurbished furniture and robotics kits to support practical teaching in coding, robotics and digital literacy.

Mingle said the facility would help pupils develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills needed for the digital economy.

“The centre will not only benefit pupils of New Asafo M/A Basic School but will also be accessible to learners from other basic schools within the Kumasi Metropolis for robotics and STEM training,” he said.

He urged teachers to integrate the facility into classroom instruction and encouraged pupils to use the centre to develop innovative solutions to challenges in their communities.

Headteacher Antwi Gabriel described the facility as a major boost to teaching and learning, saying it would expose pupils to practical technology rather than relying solely on textbooks.

“This laboratory changes everything for us. Students will no longer read about technology in textbooks; they will have first-hand experience of it,” he said.

He pledged that the school would maintain the facility and ensure it is used effectively to prepare pupils for future careers in science, engineering and technology.