Ghana’s digital future: ICT Week highlights opportunities for youth, businesses and innovators

The Vice President, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has opened the 2025 National ICT Week celebration in Accra with a call for stronger innovation, partnerships and policies to advance Ghana’s ambition of becoming Africa’s digital trade hub.

Themed “Ghana as Africa’s Digital Trade Hub: Innovation, Policy, and Partnerships for the Future,” the event highlighted Ghana’s unique position as a leader in the digital economy due to its stability, democratic credentials and dynamic economy.

In a speech delivered on her behalf by Policy Advisor, Political Affairs – Office of the Vice President, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang pointed to several flagship initiatives, including the 24-Hour Economy policy and the One Million Coders Project, which aims to equip young people with coding and software engineering skills to take advantage of opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

She also emphasized Ghana’s heavy investment in digital infrastructure, particularly the expansion of the national fiber-optic backbone and broadband networks, which are bridging the urban-rural digital divide. The Ghana.Gov platform, which provides citizens with a one-stop gateway for services like passport applications and tax filing, was cited as a major achievement in improving public service delivery.

Another milestone is Ghana’s unique interoperable instant payment system, the only one of its kind in Africa, which allows seamless transactions between banks and mobile money wallets. This system has boosted financial inclusion and created new opportunities for e-commerce and entrepreneurship.

Deputy Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Mohammed Adam Sukparu, said the theme was both visionary and practical, underscoring how digital technologies are transforming trade, markets and access to services. He noted that the government’s digital drive depends on strong infrastructure, secure systems and empowered citizens, with the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) playing a central regulatory role.

Acting NITA Director-General, Dr Mark-Oliver Kevor, reassured stakeholders of the agency’s commitment to creating a secure and inclusive ICT environment. He outlined initiatives such as the National Digital Literacy Platform, the Ghana Data Trust Network for secure transactions, and partnerships with industry and academia to drive innovation.

This year’s ICT Week is expected to provide a platform for dialogue, concrete commitments and collaborations between government, private sector, academia and international partners, as Ghana positions itself at the center of Africa’s digital economy.