AI or Be Left Behind: Ghana’s opportunity to leapfrog into the intelligent economy

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant potential for Ghana to leap into an intelligent economy. However, the realization of lasting gains depends on building essential skills, solving pertinent problems, and ensuring the value generated stays within the country.

While it might be tempting to heavily invest in AI without considering its practical application, merely purchasing software, announcing computing centers, and handing out training certificates will not yield the desired results. The true opportunity lies in developing, adapting, and maintaining AI systems locally, thereby retaining a substantial portion of the value they create.

Ghana must transcend the role of a mere customer for AI systems developed elsewhere. It needs the capacity to apply AI to its unique challenges and ensure that the country reaps a meaningful share of the value generated. This ambition now has a policy foundation with the launch of Ghana's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy on 24 April 2026. The government has also announced an AI computing center and a centralized technical review mechanism for public-sector AI acquisitions.

To truly benefit from AI, the technology must be accessible to teachers, workers, traders, and farmers. For instance, in education, AI could assist teachers in preparing practice exercises tailored to learners at different levels and provide alternative explanations for difficult concepts. However, AI-generated answers should never be mistaken for accurate or trustworthy information.

Similarly, in the workforce, AI should complement human judgment rather than replace it entirely. Training programs should focus on equipping individuals with demonstrable skills that can be applied in real-world scenarios, such as checking accounts, managing records, writing software, supporting customers, or interpreting technical information. Employers should actively involve workers in redesigning jobs and provide credible pathways into new roles, particularly as some tasks may become automated.

For small enterprises, practical AI applications can have a significant impact. An example could be a distributor using an AI assistant to summarize sales, flag potential shortages, and prepare purchase orders. This hypothetical use case should be evaluated based on its ability to save staff time, reduce errors, and justify its full cost.

Ghanaian technology firms could capitalize on these needs by building businesses around AI integration, offering local-language services, ensuring secure automation, and providing ongoing support. Universities can contribute through research, testing, and developing AI tools that reflect how people actually speak and learn. Public procurement processes should create opportunities for local suppliers capable of delivering high-performance AI systems, provided contracts reward genuine knowledge transfer and performance rather than local branding alone.

Lastly, the agricultural sector presents a clear test of AI's utility in everyday life. An extension officer could leverage validated AI tools to explain crop advice or interpret field information. Voice-based services could make useful agricultural information accessible to farmers less comfortable with written digital tools. Although farmerled initiatives like Farmerline's Mergdata and Darli-enabled services have distributed multilingual audio content, it is crucial to distinguish between such services and AI-driven improvements in yields or incomes.