The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG), represented by its President, Andrew Ackah, has thrown a challenge to telecommunication giant, MTN to renew its mode operation, especially in respect of social media and digital platforms in order to fully benefit from networks like Meta and Google.

Mr. Ackah made the bold recommendation at the 2026 MTN Digital Transformation Conference held at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra.  He was a keynote speaker at the event that welcomed top tech and marketing communications experts from across the country. Mr. Andrew was addressing the gathering on his chosen topic: “Adapt Faster, Connect Deeper,”. He recommended a new era of industry synergy but on terms that recognize where the real value lies.

The Connectivity Ecosystem: Influence Through Infrastructure

The centerpiece of Mr. Ackah’s address was a call for a “Synergy Mandate.” He observed a simple but profound reality: global giants like Google and Meta essentially run on the rails provided by MTN. Without local telecom infrastructure, their content and ads never reach the Ghanaian consumer.

But then came the provocation that gave the room a different colour: the AAG President cautioned that MTN risks becoming what the industry calls a “unpaid conduit” a company that builds and maintains the road while others drive the profit through it. Google and Meta capture attention, harvest data, and monetise engagement. MTN provides the connection. That, he argued, is a losing bargain.

However, Mr. Ackah quickly flipped the narrative. MTN has something Google and Meta cannot buy or replicate, and that, he said, was ‘verified identity’ tied to real SIM cards and real people. Not bots. Not duplicate accounts. MTN holds financial transaction data from millions of mobile money users, location and movement signals, and offline-to-online behavioural patterns at a scale no global platform operating in Ghana can match.

“…Data is being given away for free,” Ackah told the room. “Synergy does not mean charity.”

The Mechanism: A Private Marketplace, Not Just a Partnership

Andrew Ackah proposed a concrete mechanism for genuine collaboration: a private marketplace a self-serve demand-side platform sitting on top of existing platforms like Meta and Google, not replacing them, but positioning MTN as the authoritative data layer beneath them.

In this model, brands and advertisers would enter the marketplace, define their audiences, and bid for access based on real behavioural data. Not modelled. Not inferred. Actual, verified, live data tied to real people and real transactions.

“The private marketplace is how MTN stops being the road and starts being the city that the road runs through,” Mr. Ackah said.

The implications for synergy are clear:

• Advertisers get better ROI than Google or Meta can offer alone, because targeting is grounded in verified reality.
• Merchants reach millions of Ghanaian consumers with a frictionless payment layer already in place.
• Global platforms gain access to the highest-quality local data, legally and ethically, without having to build it themselves.
• Consumers receive relevant, valuable experiences—and tangible rewards—for participating.

From Linear to Looping: The New Consumer Journey

Mr. Ackah also noted that technology is moving at “breakneck speed,” fundamentally altering the consumer journey. The traditional, brand-controlled linear path has been replaced by a fluid, looping, multi-touch experience.

In this new reality, he introduced the concept of Digital Excellence:

“Digital excellence is not about having the most data; it is about the organizational capability to close the gap between insight and action faster than the consumer notices a need.”

He argued that being present on digital platforms is not enough; that, according to him, is merely digital complacency. What businesses must pursue is digital excellence, where customers feel understood, not targeted.

The “Human Behind the Data”

Despite the focus on AI and high-speed infrastructure, Andrew Ackah’s most poignant reminder was the human element. Using the story of Akwele, a fashion shop owner in Makola.

Akwele runs her entire life and business from the face of a phone: paying school fees via mobile money, buying electricity for her mother, receiving customer orders through social media DMs, and transferring funds to her supplier in China. She is not an outlier; she is the definition of the market.

“Behind every data point is a human being searching for connection, trust, and value. Transformation is nothing if it fails to serve the woman in the market.”

By using the market woman as his litmus test for success, Mr. Ackah reminded the room that digital tools are only successful if they enhance everyday lives.

 “Let us stop digitizing old systems or building roads for others to profit from,” he said. “Let us become the ecosystem where value is created, owned, and transformed.”

He ended with this: “somewhere tonight, Akwele will still be running her life and business from the face of a phone. The question is whether our industry and everyone in between is evolving fast enough to remain relevant in her world.