The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Mr. Samuel Nartey George, has emphasized that Ghana’s One Million Coders Programme is designed not only to train young people in digital skills but also to equip them with internationally recognized certifications and ensure access to sustainable, remote employment opportunities.
Speaking on Wednesday, January 22, 2026, during a working visit by Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to the Ministry, Mr. George highlighted strategic partnerships with major global technology firms. These collaborations, he said, are structured to provide trainees with certificates that are highly respected by employers worldwide.
“Our dream is not just to train one million people. What happens after they are trained is what matters. How do they get employed, especially in remote jobs?” the Minister stated.
Mr. George explained that while the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT serves as the programme’s technical training partner, the certification will come directly from partner tech giants, addressing the challenge that many international employers do not recognize standalone local ICT certificates. He likened the model to a distance learning system, where training is delivered locally but certified globally.
To promote inclusivity, especially in underserved communities, the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) will convert its facilities across constituencies into training hubs. These centres will provide free internet access and shared laptops for trainees who do not have personal devices.
Government plans to roll out the programme this year in 100 constituencies and at least four public universities, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, targeting 400,000 trainees in 2026. Mr. George appealed to the Vice President to assist in engaging the Ministry of Finance for additional funding to expand the initiative.
Beyond digital skills training, the Minister raised concerns about wastage and duplication in government ICT procurement, calling it a significant drain on public resources over the past eight years.
“We realized that the same ICT solution was being procured multiple times by different government agencies from the same service provider, resulting in repeated payments for a single system,” he revealed.
To curb this, the Ministry has formally written to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and the Ministry of Finance, insisting on strict enforcement of existing laws requiring the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) to approve all government ICT procurements.
Under the new framework, no ICT-related contract will receive procurement approval without NITA’s technical clearance, ensuring systems are reused where available and preventing unnecessary duplication. Mr. George cited the Ghana Revenue Authority’s proposed acquisition of an AI system as an example of the reform in action. Following NITA’s assessment, critical clauses were added to guarantee that sensitive national trade data is hosted locally, safeguarding Ghana’s national security.
“If that procurement had not come to NITA, critical national data would have been hosted outside Ghana,” he warned.
With these measures, the Ministry aims to modernize Ghana’s digital landscape, equip the youth with world-class skills, and ensure public resources are used efficiently and securely.
