The maiden edition of Ghana ICT Week has been launched in Accra with a call on all Ghanaians to embrace technology, think innovatively and contribute to the digital transformation of the country.
In a speech read on her behalf at the launch, the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said “As we launch the National ICT Week, I invite every citizen to be part of this transformative journey. Embrace technology, think innovatively, and contribute to the digital transformation of our nation.”
The theme for the inaugural National ICT Week is “Empowering Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development,” which according to the Minister, resonates deeply with the Digital Ghana Agenda, and a recognition that the rapid advancements in ICT and its potential to “revolutionize every aspect of our lives and transform our nation’s trajectory towards sustainable development.”
She noted that in this digital age, the world is witnessing an unparalleled fusion of innovation and opportunity, and it has become obvious that the power of technology can bridge gaps, break barriers, and provide unprecedented access to essential services, education, healthcare, agriculture and economic opportunities, even in the remotest parts of our country.
“Ghana’s journey towards sustainable development cannot be achieved without harnessing the full potential of ICT. Today, we take a significant step forward, acknowledging that ICT is not merely a tool but an enabler of progress. It is the catalyst that drives inclusive growth, empowers our citizens, and paves the way for a prosperous future,” she said.
The week-long celebration, which come next year, will be used to showcase and embrace the transformative impact of ICT in various sectors, including the e-governance solutions, streamlining public service delivery to digital literacy programs empowering our citizens, and the best practices that leverage technology for sustainable development.
Throughout the week, NITA will host a series of events, workshops, and exhibitions that highlights successful ICT initiatives already making a positive impact in our society, while bringing together stakeholders from government, private sector, academia, and civil society to foster collaboration, innovation, capacity building and knowledge sharing.
“Additionally, we will design workshops that focus on building digital skills, particularly for our youth, as they are the future workforce and entrepreneurs who will drive our digital economy. These workshops will provide practical training in areas such as coding, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship, equipping our youth with the necessary tools to compete in the global digital landscape,” the minister said.
She also emphasized the importance of a secure and trusted digital environment, saying that cybersecurity is paramount in safeguarding the country’s digital assets and ensuring that citizens’ personal information remained protected.
“We will, therefore, have dedicated sessions to discuss cybersecurity best practices and measures to create a resilient digital infrastructure,” she said.
On his part, the Director-General of NITA, Richard Okyere-Fosu also emphasized the need for all to come onboard the digital transformation ship saying “let us embrace the spirit of teamwork and creativity as we launch the Ghana ICT Week…The importance of engaging regularly with stakeholders to discuss and streamline our digital journey is crucial.”
He touted some of the milestones in Ghana’s ICT journey, which he said, put the country in a position to play a leading role in the digital transformation of the continent.
“Per the ITU Digital Development Dashboard, Ghana’s network coverage is 97% as of 2020; this is foundational to our digital economy. Ghana is proud of its Accra-based National Data Center and Kumasi-based Disaster Recovery (DR) location.
“With agility in mind, the government recently launched a Government Cloud (G-Cloud) to provide Cloud services to government institutions. This fosters innovation in the creation of software and the hosting needs for government IT departments. Due to the favourable environment, private businesses like PAIX, ONIX, and MainOne have created Tier 4 and Tier 3 data centres, respectively, to support both private and public sector operations,” he said.
According to him, Ghana is also collaborating with Smart Africa to create federated Cloud solutions throughout the continent to accomplish two crucial goals: creating locally consumable content and keeping the data we produce on the continent.
The NITA boss noted that Ghana is at a critical juncture in its nation’s history where digitalisation is taking over all sectors in the society, saying that he convergence of technology and sustainable development presents the country with an unparalleled opportunity to build a Ghana that is innovative, inclusive, and sustainable.
“On our part, NITA would like to rally stakeholders together to look at innovation, capacity building in the various verticals (Agric, Health, Finance and Education) for a sustainable development. Together we will steer Ghana towards a brighter, digitally empowered future, leaving no one behind.
“I pledge our unwavering commitment to driving this transformation and to supporting all stakeholders in their efforts to embrace the digital future and the ICT week will help create the needed awareness,” he said.
