MTN, Ashesi University and Accra-based studio Leti Arts have signed an agreement to set up a dedicated game development lab on the Ashesi campus. It was one of two partnerships announced at the MTN Gaming Conference in Accra, alongside a new national programme to find and back emerging Ghanaian game developers.

The conference, organised by Leti Arts in Accra, gathered more than 50 decision-makers from Ghana and abroad. The guest list spanned university heads and professors, film directors, tech executives, esports organisers and cultural figures. Both deals were unveiled on stage after a keynote from MTN’s CEO on why gaming matters for youth employment and Africa’s digital future.

Leti Arts CEO Eyram Tawia opened with a keynote on the history of gaming in Ghana and across Africa. He traced how the ecosystem has grown into today’s market, pointing to the rise of new local studios and to people who started as interns and went on to run studios of their own.

The three-way agreement between MTN, Ashesi University and Leti Arts lays the groundwork for a university game lab where students will train on professional game development tools on campus. According to Leti Arts, the aim is for students to graduate with the skills to build competitive, world-class games from day one, rather than having to pick them up after leaving university.

The second announcement is a programme to find, train and support rising game developers across Ghana. The Leti Arts x MTN Game Challenge will combine hands-on mentorship, funding and access to MTN’s platform. The stated goal is to help young creators take game ideas from their bedrooms and turn them into sustainable businesses. Leti Arts has not yet published application dates, the size of the funding pot or the selection criteria. With MTN’s reach across Ghana’s mobile market, the distribution element could prove as valuable to participants as the funding itself.