Ghana cannot build an inclusive digital economy by leaving girls behind – Sam George

Samuel Nartey George, Ghana's Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, has emphasized that the country cannot develop an inclusive digital economy if it ignores the potential of girls and young women. At the graduation ceremony for the first cohort of Plan International Ghana's Digital Skills Project, George challenged the 14 female graduates among the 26 participants to seize their opportunity in Ghana's growing technology sector.

He urged them not to be deterred by the misconception that technology is a male-dominated field. The minister noted that Ghana's digital transformation is already impacting various sectors, including health, agriculture, finance, education, and public service, and stressed that digital skills are not a future prospect, but a present necessity.

He commended Plan International Ghana, funded by Nokia, for providing practical digital skills to the young people and enabling them to address community challenges through innovative solutions. The 12-week intensive digital skills training program culminated in a month-long capstone project development, resulting in five projects addressing real community issues.

The projects showcased the capabilities of young people when given the chance to apply their learning beyond theoretical knowledge. The minister also highlighted Ghana's One Million Coders program, which aims to broaden access to digital skills and enroll 141,954 participants. He encouraged the graduates to leverage other opportunities to deepen their skills and pursue avenues such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and artificial intelligence.

The graduates presented their capstone projects, including AMBU, an emergency response application designed for faster medical assistance, with a team of three women emphasizing the growing female participation in technology fields. Plan International Ghana's Head of Programmes, Eric Ayaba, highlighted the importance of translating the acquired knowledge into solutions for community challenges, emphasizing the need for continued support and mentorship for the graduates.