Ghana Declines MTN Ghana’s Offer of GH¢20m Donation for Xenophobia Victims

The Ghanaian government has rejected an offer from MTN Ghana to donate GH¢20 million to help citizens affected by recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government had already made adequate financial provisions for the evacuation and reintegration of Ghanaians affected by the violence and therefore did not need to accept the offer of the telecom company.

The ministry said it was aware of media reports concerning MTN Ghana’s planned intervention in a statement released on Wednesday, August 26, and shared by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on his official X account.

According to the statement, “The media publications seem to attribute the announcement of this intended GHS20million donation to an interview granted by the highly regarded MTN Board Chairman, Dr. Ishmael Yamson.

“The Government of Ghana commends MTN for the offer, however, we respectfully decline,” the ministry said.

The ministry said the government’s position was conveyed directly to Yamson and MTN Ghana’s Chief Executive Officer when they met with Ablakwa on August 14, 2026.

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The ministry said the Mahama administration had made sufficient provisions, in collaboration with local partners, to finance the ongoing humanitarian evacuation of Ghanaians caught in the violence in South Africa.

“Meanwhile, the Government of Ghana remains fully committed to current humanitarian evacuations and reintegration financial support for every Ghanaian brought back from harm’s way,” the statement said.

The government also pledged to publish a comprehensive account of the cost of the evacuation exercise after it is concluded.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assures that it will present to the general public a comprehensive account of the total cost of evacuations as soon as the exercise is concluded, in the interest of transparency and accountability,” it added.

The ministry stressed that its decision should not be interpreted as a rejection of MTN’s support for Ghanaian citizens but as a reflection of the government’s existing arrangements for managing the humanitarian response.

The Ghanaian government has also tried to assure international companies operating in the country that its decision would not affect its relationship with foreign investors.

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“The ministry said it will continue to create the best business ecosystem for all international brands operating in Ghana to thrive irrespective of which country their businesses emanated from.

The Ghanaian government said it has already made sufficient financial provisions for evacuation and reintegration of affected Ghanaians.

The development comes as Ghana continues to respond to reports of xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals in South Africa, with concerns over the safety and welfare of African migrants and their businesses.

MTN Ghana’s proposed GH¢20 million intervention would have represented a major corporate contribution towards assisting affected Ghanaians. However, the government has opted to rely on its existing funding arrangements for the evacuation and reintegration programme.

The government said the eventual publication of the evacuation expenditure would provide the public with details of the resources committed to bringing affected Ghanaians home and supporting their reintegration

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