The government’s One Million Coders Programme has attracted significant interest from the youth, with nearly 150,000 people registering for the initiative and more than 43,300 students already trained, Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Administration and Finance, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, has disclosed.
She said the overwhelming response demonstrated the growing appetite among Ghanaian youth, particularly unemployed young people, to acquire digital skills and improve their prospects in the rapidly evolving global digital economy.
According to her, the programme received 94,000 applications within just 48 hours of its launch and is currently being implemented through 130 centres across all 16 regions of the country.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo made the disclosure on Monday, August 17, 2026, when she delivered the keynote address on behalf of the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, at the opening of the 2026 National ICT Week celebration.
The event, organised under the theme “Innovation at Scale: Creating Opportunities Across Ghana’s Digital Ecosystem,” brought together government officials, technology innovators, entrepreneurs, academics, industry players, development partners and other stakeholders to discuss Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said the government was also taking steps to ensure that the benefits of the One Million Coders Programme reached people who are often excluded from digital opportunities.
She disclosed that plans were underway to train 50,000 Persons With Disabilities ( PWD’s) nder the programme.
She further revealed that the pilot phase of the initiative recorded 52 per cent female participation, describing the development as an indication that the programmew is making progress in promoting broader participation in the digital economy.
The Deputy Chief of Staff said the figures reflected the strong interest of young people in technology and their determination to acquire skills that could provide alternative pathways to employment and economic independence.
“This massive response highlights a generation eager to equip themselves with modern skills for the global digital economy,” she said.
She noted that the initiative is particularly important at a time when digital technologies are rapidly transforming traditional jobs and creating new opportunities in areas such as software development, artificial intelligence, digital content creation and other technology-driven industries.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said Ghana’s digital transformation could not be achieved solely through investment in infrastructure and technology without developing the human capital required to use those resources productively.
She therefore stressed the need for sustained investment in digital skills training, particularly for young people, women and persons with disabilities.
She said the One Million Coders Programme is part of broader government efforts to prepare Ghanaians to participate meaningfully in the digital economy rather than remain consumers of technology developed elsewhere.
The Deputy Chief of Staff said young people are increasingly turning to technology as a pathway out of economic hardship, making it necessary for government and the private sector to create an enabling environment for them to develop, commercialise and scale their ideas.
Beyond skills development, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo highlighted a number of government digitalisation initiatives which she said are improving efficiency, transparency and revenue mobilisation.
She cited the Ghana Revenue Authority’s new artificial intelligence-powered trade valuation platform, which she said contributed to the collection of GH¢1 billion in a single month in April.
She added that customs revenue subsequently reached a record GH¢6.1 billion in July, describing the development as an indication of the potential of technology to improve public revenue collection and reduce leakages.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she said, had also fully digitised passport applications nationwide, making it possible for citizens to access the service through a more efficient digital system.
She further noted that the digitalisation of operations at Ghana’s ports and harbours is helping to improve vessel turnaround times while enhancing revenue transparency.
“These interventions are equipping our people with skills, promoting affirmative access for women and persons with disabilities, and expanding economic opportunity for all,” she said.
According to her, digitalisation is also helping government to reduce costs, close loopholes through which public revenue could be lost and improve public confidence in government institutions.
Despite the progress being made, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo cautioned that Ghana must not allow the rapid expansion of digital technology to create new forms of inequality.
She said unequal access to technology remained a major global challenge, with women and other vulnerable groups particularly at risk of being left behind.
She noted that an estimated 280 million more men than women are online globally, while internet access in Africa remained below the global average.
Women’s connectivity, she added, continued to lag behind that of men, highlighting the need for deliberate policies to close the gender gap in digital access.
She further identified persons with disabilities, children and older people as groups that could face exclusion from the benefits of digital transformation if adequate measures are not put in place.
“A girl-child still faces stereotyping, a person with disability still faces exclusion, and an older generation that did not grow up with this revolution risks being left behind entirely,” she said.
She therefore stressed that inclusion, equality and safety should not be treated as optional components of Ghana’s digitalisation agenda.
The Deputy Chief of Staff also emphasised the need to strengthen cybersecurity as more Ghanaians, businesses and government institutions move their activities online.
She cited the work of the Cyber Security Authority in tackling cybercrime, including the dismantling of cross-border fraud networks and the arrest of more than 140 suspects in a single operation.
She also said Ghana had achieved a perfect score in four pillars of the International Telecommunication Union’s Global Cybersecurity Index.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo argued that increasing access to digital technology must go hand in hand with measures to protect citizens, businesses and government systems from cyberattacks, online fraud and other emerging digital threats.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said Ghana had considerable technological talent capable of developing solutions to both local and international challenges.
She cited the example of a Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology student who had developed a low-cost, artificial intelligence-powered tool for detecting cocoa diseases.
She said such innovations demonstrates how technology can be deployed to address practical challenges facing Ghana’s agricultural sector and protect farmers’ livelihoods.
She also praised Ghanaian content creators, YouTubers, filmmakers and musicians for using digital platforms to reach audiences beyond the country.
“Our TikTokers are exporting Ghanaian culture; our YouTubers are becoming digital educators; our film industry and musicians are turning these platforms into a multi-billion-dollar livelihood,” she said.
She, however, stressed that talent alone is not enough, arguing that Ghana needed to create the right environment for promising ideas and startups to develop into sustainable commercial enterprises.
The Deputy Chief of Staff called for stronger collaboration between government, industry and other stakeholders to create a more supportive business environment for technology startups and software developers.
She expressed concern that high taxation and other operational costs could make it difficult for young developers and startups to grow and compete.
“Heavy taxation makes it exceedingly difficult for new developers and startups to scale,” she said.
She argued that young technology entrepreneurs need adequate financial and institutional support to move from developing innovative ideas to building viable businesses capable of creating jobs and contributing to economic growth.
She suggested that Ghana can study models adopted by other countries, including Turkey, which she said subsidises software licences, cloud hosting and app-store commissions.
Such an approach, she argued, can provide young technology companies with the financial runway needed to develop their products, establish themselves in the market and eventually become sustainable enterprises.
While advocating greater investment in digital innovation, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo cautioned that technology could also be harmful when used irresponsibly.
She urged content creators and other users of digital platforms not to use technology to threaten individuals, undermine national peace or damage the economic environment.
“Content creation must never become a tool to threaten our peace or target any citizen, regardless of age, sex or status,” she cautioned.
She also warned against sensationalism, stressing that digital platforms and ICT-enabled governance should be used to promote constructive accountability while respecting Ghana’s laws and fundamental rights.
As the 2026 National ICT Week celebration continues, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo called on stakeholders to use the platform to develop practical partnerships and strategies that would sustain Ghana’s digital transformation beyond the week-long celebration.
She outlined six key priorities for the country’s digital future.
They include continued investment in digital infrastructure for underserved communities; increased digital skills training with deliberate inclusion of women, youth and persons with disabilities; stronger cybersecurity and digital literacy; support for local innovators to commercialise their solutions; responsible regulation of digital content without stifling creativity and fundamental human rights; and stronger partnerships among government, academia and industry.
She said partnerships developed during the ICT Week should translate into practical interventions in schools, businesses, government institutions and communities.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo commended the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation and other partners for convening the event.
She expressed hope that the 2026 National ICT Week celebration would mark another significant step towards building an inclusive digital economy in which every Ghanaian could participate and benefit.
“May the conversations we begin this week not end when the last session closes, but continue in our ministries, our classrooms, our businesses and our homes, until every Ghanaian, wherever they live, can feel and share in the promise of this digital age,” she said.
By 1960news.com
