The second National ICT Week has been launched in Accra with a clarion call on all stakeholders to play their respective roles in ensuring that Ghana becomes a leading digital trade hub in Africa.
Director-General of the National Information Technology Authority (NITA), Dr. Mark-Oliver Kevor who made the call at the launch, noted that Ghana has over the years made significant strides in creating a digital economy, but much more need to be done to ensure the country becomes the go-to digital trade hub on the continent.
“Over the past decade, we have made significant strides toward building the infrastructure, institutional frameworks, policies and the digital literacy required to take advantage of global technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and Internet of Things among other,” he said. “We have invested in broadband expansion, e-government platforms, national identification systems, cybersecurity frameworks, and youth-oriented tech programs.”
He noted that despite the progress made, much remains to be done because the vision is not just for Ghana to be digitally active but to be digitally competitive, and become Africa’s leading digital trade hub – a regional center where ideas, technologies, services, and innovations converge and thrive.
Dr. Kevor said this year’s ICT Week, slated for August 25 – 29, 2025, under the theme “Ghana as Africa’s Digital Trade Hub—Innovation, Policy, and Partnerships for the Future,” is therefore intended to serve both as a celebration of the country’s achievements in the area of digitalization, and also as a clarion call for renewed commitment to drive that vision.
He believes Ghana is uniquely positioned to lead Africa’s digital trade because of the country’s strategic geographical location along the Gulf of Guinea, which gives it a logistical advantage as a gateway to West Africa and beyond.
Additionally, the NITA boss noted that Ghana’s commitment to digital governance and inclusivity, as reflected in the various digital economy-related policies and laws, development of critical personnel through ICT for Girls and One Million Coders programs, and a robust all-round public-private partnerships with giants like Google, Microsoft, Huawei and other key players in Ghana’s digital ecosystem, positions the country to be the leading digital trade hub.
With this clear focus in mind, Dr. Kevor said the Second National ICT Week will be a platform for a number of things, including the following:
- Explore Ghana’s Potential as Africa’s Digital Trade Powerhouse, which will be hinged on strategic conversations on Ghana’s preparedness to lead as a digital trade hub on the continent.
- Shape forward-thinking policies for a thriving digital economy with the intention to uncover key policy and regulatory reforms needed to position Ghana as a leader in Africa’s digital trade landscape.
- Strengthen Trust in the Digital Marketplace by highlighting Ghana’s evolving Digital Trust Framework, which is a cornerstone for building a secure, inclusive, and reliable digital ecosystem.
- Celebrate Ghana’s digital breakthroughs by showcasing groundbreaking innovations in e-commerce, digital payments, and logistics that are redefining the business landscape.
- Ignite Cross-Sector Collaborations and Investment by facilitating meaningful partnerships between government, industry leaders, and global investors to fuel growth and innovation and
- Pave the way for a Connected Data Economy by driving leadership to implement a national Data Exchange Hub and robust Data Governance Framework to power Ghana’s integrated data-driven future.
Expected Outcome
In terms of the expectation from this year’s ICT Week, the Director-General named a few:
- Foster High-Level Policy Commitment: There will be Political will and strategic alignment from governments and regional institutions like AfCFTA and Smart Africa to advance digital trade initiatives, including the adoption of continental Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
- Promote Public-Private Partnerships: There will be a strong collaboration between regulators, private sector players, and development partners to improve policy coherence, reduce regulatory burdens, and support last-mile infrastructure and fintech innovation.
- Support SME Digital Integration: There will be an actionable strategy to empower SMEs to access regional digital marketplaces, leveraging mobile money and fintech solutions across borders.
- Advance Data Governance and Innovation: Consensus will be built on the implementation of a National Data Exchange Platform and Data Governance Framework in Ghana, and the potential of AI and machine learning in unlocking the value of data for trade, productivity, and innovation will be explored and
- Enhance Capacity and Regional Cooperation: The capacity of national and regional institutions will be strengthened through knowledge exchange to support a connected African digital economy.
He believes it will take a collective will and action to ensure that the ICT Week is not just a talk shop forum, but a platform to practicalize the national vision in creating a digital trade hub.
On that score, he called on the private sector, policy makers and regulators, youth and innovators, development partners and the media to each play their respective roles in ensuring that the ICT Weeks yielded sustainable benefits for the country.
He is confident that if all stakeholders played their role, Ghana’s ICT Week can become comparable with other similar major events on the continent to drive digital tourism as well.
