The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has outlined an ambitious roadmap aimed at transforming Ghana into one of Africa’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) centres, during a stakeholder engagement with officials of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Ghana in Accra.

The meeting formed part of a broader consultation process with key stakeholders and focused on potential areas of cooperation, particularly in driving the implementation of Ghana’s recently launched National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

During the discussions, the Minister disclosed that the Ministry has undergone significant institutional restructuring to enable it serve as a coordinating and facilitating body across government. The objective, he explained, is to ensure that technology becomes a central driver of development across all sectors of the economy.

He stressed that the rapidly changing digital environment demands stronger collaboration between government and private-sector institutions, noting that firms such as PwC have a critical role to play in accelerating innovation and expanding technology-based solutions nationwide.

A major focus of the engagement was the identification of key sectors earmarked for intervention under the National AI Strategy.

Among the priority areas highlighted were agriculture, healthcare, education and governance systems.

The Minister noted that deploying AI solutions within these sectors could contribute significantly to improving food security, expanding healthcare access through telemedicine, reducing disparities in educational opportunities and enhancing efficiency within public institutions.

As part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s digital ecosystem, Samuel Nartey George revealed that Cabinet has approved an investment package worth $250 million for the development of national computing infrastructure and AI-powered applications.

The investment is expected to provide innovators, researchers and academic institutions with affordable access to high-performance computing facilities necessary for advanced technological development and AI research.

The Minister also highlighted challenges facing technology startups, particularly in accessing financing through conventional banking institutions, which often rely on stringent lending requirements that many emerging businesses are unable to satisfy.

To address the challenge, government is considering the establishment of a state-backed innovation fund that would operate as a revolving investment mechanism. The initiative is intended to reduce investment risks for private-sector players while attracting venture capital funding into Ghana’s growing technology sector.

The discussions also touched on ongoing legislative reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s digital regulatory framework.

According to the Minister, plans are underway to transform key government agencies into fully-fledged regulatory bodies while creating innovation sandboxes that will support the growth of emerging industries such as fintech, healthtech and agritech.

The proposed measures are expected to provide a controlled environment for testing innovative products and services while ensuring adequate regulatory oversight.

The PwC delegation, led by Country Senior Partner Vish Ashiagbor, expressed support for the government’s vision and indicated the firm’s willingness to collaborate with the Ministry on a range of initiatives.

Areas of potential partnership identified during the engagement included AI deployment, digital advisory services, capacity-building programmes and efforts to connect startups with private investment opportunities.

The firm also signalled its readiness to assist in scaling innovative solutions beyond Ghana’s borders and across the African continent.

Both parties agreed on the need for sustained cooperation to advance Ghana’s digital transformation agenda and promote innovation-driven economic growth.

The engagement ended with a commitment to deepen collaboration in the months ahead as government finalises key legislative reforms and prepares to operationalise major initiatives under the National AI Strategy.

Also present at the meeting were Richard Wogodo, Senior Manager for Technology Consulting at PwC, and Winfred King, a Partner with the firm.

Sam George outlines vision to make Ghana Africa's top AI center

Suggested for you

More Stories

Jordan feels pride, not pressure for World Cup debut

Iran draws 2-2 with New Zealand in politically charged World Cup match in LA

Queiroz Enters Record Book as He Prepares for Fifth World Cup

Microsoft sues by shareholders for expenses, cloud business, AI

US judge dismisses Musk's xAI lawsuit accusing OpenAI of trade secrets

Climate change affects children across almost the entire world, UN agency says

Discussion