ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
Ladies and gentlemen, the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is a global reminder that ICTs are not merely tools, they are gateways to opportunity.
But those doors must open equally for everyone.
If we are serious about building a digitally empowered nation, then we must be equally serious about gender equality in digital spaces.
The cost of inaction is not borne by women alone , it is a loss for all of us.
Every girl excluded from technology is a potential innovator, engineer, or leader the world will never know.
I urge each of you to join us in building a future where digital transformation uplift all, not just a select few.
Let us work together to reduce the gender gap now, with a firm resolve to eliminate it entirely in the near future.
Thank you for your time, your presence, and most importantly your commitment to action.
Monday, June 8, 2026 KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE HON.
MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATION, DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATIONS, HON.
SAMUEL NARTEY GEORGE, AT THE ECOWAS REGIONAL HACKATHON 2026 AT 10AM 9TH JUNE 2026, Mensvic Grand Hotel, East Legon -Accra Your Excellency, Ambassador Mohammed Lawan Gana, Resident Representative of ECOWAS, Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority, Mr Divine Selase Agbeti, Distinguished representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, Members of the diplomatic community, Young developers and cybersecurity professionals from across West Africa, Sponsors and partners, All protocols observed, Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me be direct: the future of West Africa's digital security is being shaped here—by the people and innovators in this room.
I am genuinely delighted to be with you for the opening of the ECOWAS Regional Hackathon 2026.
And I say 'genuinely' because, as Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, this is the kind of gathering that gives me real confidence abo ut where we are headed as a region.
This optimism is rooted in the remarkable progress we are witnessing daily.
We are living through one of the most consequential shifts in human history.
Across West Africa, digital technology is no longer a luxury add-on — it is the backbone of how we trade, govern, learn, and connect.
Mobile money has brought financial services to people who never had a bank account.
Digital platforms are helping farmers in rural Ghana get better prices for their produce.
Telemedicine is reaching patients who would otherwise have no access to healthcare.
AI is helping governments deliver services more efficiently than ever before.
This is the promise of our digital era — and it is real.
Let us now consider the challenges that come with this progress.
Every system we build, every platform we launch, every database we create — creates a surface that someone, somewhere, is trying to exploit.
The Interpol Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report of 2025 paints a picture that should concern every policymaker, every business owner, and every citizen in this region.
We are seeing a sharp rise in ransomware attacks that lock hospitals out of patient records.
Business email compromise scams are draining millions from companies and government institutions that believ e they are making legitimate transfers.
Organised criminal networks are running sophisticated fraud operations that span multiple countries, moving seamlessly across our borders in ways that our enforcement agencies are still catching up with.
These are not distant, abstract threats.
They are happening in our cities, in our financial systems, in our institutions — right now.
And the people behind them are technically capable, well -resourced, and increasingly sophisticated.
The Cyber Security Authority has done important work on this front.
Working alongside other security agencies, the CSA has helped dismantle cybercrime and trafficking -linked scam centres operating right here in Ghana — operations that have led to the arres t of hundreds of suspects.
What is particularly sobering is that many of those caught up in these operations are young people.
Young people with real technical ability — but whose skills were pointed in the wrong direction.
This brings me to why the work you are doing here matters so much.
There is a global shortage of over four million cybersecurity professionals, with Africa facing the widest gap.
This isn't a sign of weakness, but of opportunity.
The world needs your skills urgently.
Our challenge is to build and direct enough talent, quickly, to address real problems.
Building on this, the WEF is also clear on something else: as artificial intelligence accelerates the pace of digital adoption, the risk of what they call 'cyber inequity' grows.
Countries that cannot defend their own digital infrastructure become dependen t — on foreign vendors, foreign expertise, and foreign decisions about their own security.
That is not a position any sovereign nation wants to be in.
As a government, we have taken deliberate steps to change this.
We believe that digital transformation only delivers its full promise if it is underpinned by digital trust — and that trust has to be built on local expertise and local ownership.
To address this gap, our One Million Coders programme was developed.
This is a four-year national initiative, led by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, to equip one million Ghanaians with skills in coding, cybersecurity, dat a science, and network support.
We are not waiting for these professionals to come from elsewhere.
We are building them here — and the framework we are developing can serve as a model for our neighbours across the ECOWAS region.
The future of work is in building and securing digital infrastructure.
The jobs are there.
The demand is growing.
What we need are the people ready to step into them.
Just as important as technical skill is responsible innovation.
The most powerful technology in the wrong hands, or without ethical guardrails, does not create prosperity.
It creates risk.
As you build solutions over the next 48 hours, I encourage you to t hink not just about what is technically possible, but about what is responsible — what protects citizens, what respects privacy, what earns trust.
This is what separates great engineers from good ones.
Anyone can build a tool.
The question is whether your tool makes people safer, more empowered, and better off.
To every participant gathered here today — I want to speak to you directly.
You have come from across West Africa.
You have different backgrounds, different stacks, different experiences.
But you are all here because you have the curiosity and the capability to solve hard problems.
Do not underestimate that.
Over the next 48 hours, I want you to build as if the solution you create will be deployed in the real world — because it might be.
Some of the most impactful cybersecurity tools, fintech solutions, and digital platforms in Africa began exactly this way: a hackathon, a team, a problem, and the stubbornness to solve it.
Another crucial opportunity this hackathon presents is collaboration across borders.
The connections you build this weekend — with developers from Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and across the region — will outlast this event.
Build network s. Share knowledge.
Create solutions that reflect African realities, not imported templates.
Events like this embody more than just competition; they are vital pipelines.
I commend the ECOWAS Commission, the Cyber Security Authority, the organising committee, mentors, sponsors, and all technical partners for creating this platform.
They feed talen t into startups, into institutions, and into policy.
The ideas prototyped here can become the tools that protect millions of people across our region.
West Africa's digital future depends not just on access to technology, but on securing it, governing it wisely, and building leaders who truly understand it.
Ghana is fully committed to that future — and to working with every ECOWAS member state, every partner, and every one of you to make it real.
Build well.
Build securely.
And show us what Africa's next generation of digital defenders can do.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS FOR THE HONOURABLE MINISTER HON.
SAMUEL NARTEY GEORGE NATIONAL DATA PROTECTION CONFERENCE 2026 THURSDAY 26TH FEBRUARY 2026 - ALISA HOTEL, NORTH RIDGE -ACCRA.
ARCHITECTING GHANA’S DIGITAL FUTURE WITH TRUST AND PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION AT ITS CORE Your Excellency, The Right Honourable Speaker of Parliament, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Honourable Members of Parliament, Heads of Regulatory Institutions, Captains of Industry, Academics and Innovators, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning.
It is a privilege to address this distinguished gathering under a theme that speaks directly to the realities of our time: “Your Data, Your Identity – Building Trust in Ghana’s Digital Future.”
Throughout history, nations have been shaped by how they managed their most valuable resources.
Gold once defined economic strength.
Oil reshaped global power and industry.
Today, data has taken its place as a defining resource of the modern economy.
Unlike gold buried in the ground, data is created every day by people, through mobile payments, biometric systems, banking transactions, health records, and the countless digital services that now form part of everyday life.
Data is no longer just a techni cal matter.
It has become closely tied to identity, economic participation, and access to opportunity.
If managed responsibly, it can also become a source of national advantage.
Ghana stands at an important point in its digital journey.
Over the past decade, we have seen remarkable progress.
Mobile money has transformed financial inclusion.
Interoperable payment systems have strengthened efficiency.
Digital public infrastructure c ontinues to expand.
Open banking is advancing, and artificial intelligence is gradually being introduced across multiple sectors.
Every day, millions of Ghanaians contribute to this digital ecosystem, generating value through the data they create.
Yet experience around the world shows that rapid growth without strong governance creates vulnerabilities.
A system that expands without t rust eventually slows, because citizens and businesses become cautious.
Trust, therefore, is not an abstract idea.
It is a form of economic infrastructure.
Without trust, participation declines, investment hesitates, and innovation loses momentum.
With trust, systems grow, markets deepen, and confidence strengthens.
In the digital era, that trust rests fundamentally on protecting personal data.
When we say, “Your Data, Your Identity,” we are recognising that personal information now influences access to credit, insurance, public services, and automated decision -making systems.
If personal data is not handled responsibly, the consequences go beyond financial loss.
They can affect fairness, dignity, and public confidence in institutions.
This is why Ghana must move beyond simply expanding digital services.
We must focus on deliberate digital architecture.
Consent must be meaningful and transparent.
Artificial intelligence systems must be understandable and accountable.
Application interfac es must be secure.
Identity platforms must be resilient.
Cross -border data flows must be governed in ways that protect both citizens and national interests.
Across the world, assumptions about technology and digital dependence are changing.
Countries are paying closer attention to resilience, sovereignty, and the long -term implications of how data is stored, processed, and shared.
Ghana must respond thoughtful ly, guided not by fear, but by foresight and careful planning.
As a Ministry, we are taking concrete steps in this direction.
Work is underway to reform our legislative and institutional framework for data protection.
A new Data Protection Bill is being developed to respond to modern realities, including artificial intelligence, automated decision -making, and increasingly complex cross -border data ecosystems.
The objective is to strengthen enforcement, clarify international t ransfer rules, and enhance citizens' rights, ensuring that our governance framework remains relevant in the years ahead.
We are also advancing a Data Harmonisation initiative to reduce fragmentation and align standards across financial services, telecommunications, and the public sector.
A resource as important as data cannot be governed through disconnected rules.
Coherence and consistency are essential.
At the same time, Ghana’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy has been developed to build local capability while embedding fairness, transparency, and accountability in the design and deployment of these systems.
Innovation must always serve people.
It must s trengthen dignity, not weaken it.
The National AI Strategy has been approved by Cabinet and will be launched in the next few weeks by His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama.
In addition, work is progressing on an Emerging Technologies Bill that will provide structured oversight for artificial intelligence systems, advanced analytics, digital assets, and new digital platforms.
The aim is not to slow innovation, but to guide it responsibly so that progress remains aligned with public interest.
Yet laws and policies alone are not enough.
Digital systems do not build themselves.
They require skilled people who can design, secure, and improve them.
This is why we have launched the One Million Coders Programme , an initiative to equip young Ghanaians with skills in coding, artificial intelligence, data protection and digital engineering.
If data is a valuable resource, then human talent is what allows that resource to be refined and used productively.
A nation t hat generates data but cannot design and manage its own systems remains dependent.
A nation that develops digital expertise shapes its own future.
Digital sovereignty, in this sense, belongs to every institution that collects or processes personal data.
Compliance with the Data Protection Act is both a legal obligation and a moral duty.
Any organisation that has not yet registered with the Data Protection Commission should do so without delay.
Registration reflects accountability, and compliance builds trust.
The data entrusted to you by the people of Ghana must be protected in full accordance with the Data Protection Act 2012 (Act 843).
Leadership should begin voluntarily, not after enforcement.
Strong data protection should not be seen as a barrier to innovation.
On the contrary, it can become one of Ghana’s greatest strengths.
As we position ourselves as a regional hub for fintech and digital services, trust can become a defining feature of our digital economy.
Speaking of our digital economy, the key unique identifier for all Ghanaians today is the Ghana Card.
The Ghana Card has become the single source of truth for identity verification across platforms.
For example, when a citizen applies for government healthcare or seeks to open a bank account online, the Ghana Card enables seamless authentication across these diverse systems.
As more and more public services move online, the need to link physical identity to digital identity through a standardised biometric protocol is critical.
Unfortunately, this was a missed step in the last SIM card registration, as there was no biometric verification against the NIA database.
This has left us with the difficult but necessary decision, after extensive Cabinet deliberations, begin the processes for a new SIM Card registration exercise.
This exercise will be the first to have live verification against the NIA database and provide biometric verification for every registration.
Let me state upfront: this exercise will prioritise customer comfort.
We are putting in place measures to avoid long queues, including self -service portals and a seamless process for completing the process.
The regulator, the National Communications Authority, is engaging stakeholders on the rollout.
The Data Protection Commission must be central to ensuring that, even as biometric data is collected and processed, it is done with the principal consideration of protecting the customers.
Trust must be elevated above all other considerations.
But safeguarding this trust is not the responsibility of the government alone.
Financial institutions must integrate privacy and security into system design from the beginning.
Telecommunications providers must strengthen encryption and infrastructure resi lience.
Startups must consider privacy and data governance from their earliest stages.
Universities and research institutions must continue advancing work in artificial intelligence safety and digital ethics.
Corporate boards must treat data governance as a matter of accountability and long-term risk management.
Trust must be built deliberately.
It does not happen automatically.
This conference, therefore, is an opportunity to reflect on whether the systems we are building are worthy of public confidence, whether our governance structures are keeping pace with technological change, and whether the digital economy we are shaping is grounded in dignity and fairness.
In the years ahead, history will not judge us by how quickly we digitised, but by how wisely we governed.
When we protect personal data, we protect identity.
When we protect identity, we protect dignity.
And when we protect dignity, we strengthen the Republic.
Let this conference mark a renewed national commitment to building a digital future anchored in trust, responsibility, and respect for the rights of every Ghanaian.
SAMUEL NARTEY GEORGE (MP), MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATION, DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND INNOV ATIONS AT THE 2026 E - LEARNING AWARENESS WEEK AND E -LEARNING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AT KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KNUST), KUMASI ON THURSDAY, 16TH JULY 2026 The Vice-Chancellor, Prof.
Rita Akosua Dickson, Members of the University Council, Distinguished Faculty and Researchers, Development Partners, Industry Leaders, Students, Invited Guests, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, All Protocols Observed Good morning, It is both an honour and a privilege to join you this morning at the 2026 E -Learning Awareness Week and International Conference hosted by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology here in Kumasi.
I bring you warms greetings from Hon Samuel Nartey George who wished to be here but due to some exigencies of work was not able.
Permit me first to express my sincere appreciation to the Vice -Chancellor, the Registrar, the Organising Committee and the entire KNUST community for the invitation extended to me to deliver this keynote address at such an important and forward-looking gathering.
This year’s theme, “Harnessing AI and Emerging Digital Technologies to Advance Inclusive, Equitable and Ethical Learning Ecosystems ,” is very timely and very relevant.
Indeed, we are living through one of the most transformative periods in human history a period where artificial intelligence, digital innovation and emerging technologies are fundamentally reshaping economies, institutions and societies.
More importantly, they are redefining the future of education itself.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Across the world, the nature of teaching, learning, research and knowledge sharing is undergoing rapid transformation.
Artificial intelligence is changing how students learn, how lecturers teach, how institutions operate and how research is conducted.
From adaptive learning systems and intelligent tutoring platforms to virtual laboratories, AI - assisted research and personalised education pathways, technology is no longer simply supporting education; it is becoming central to the architecture of modern learning ecosystems.
For countries such as Ghana, this transformation presents a historic opportunity.
It presents an opportunity to democratise access to quality education, bridge geographical and socio-economic learning gaps, empower underserved communities, and equip our young people with the competencies required for the digital economy of the future.
At the same time, it presents a profound responsibility.
A responsibility to ensure that technological advancement is guided by ethics, inclusion, accountability, and human -centred values.
A responsibility to ensure that no citizen is excluded from the opportunities of the digital age simply because of location, gender, disability, or economic circumstance.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, As a Government, we recognise clearly that digital transformation is a national imperative.
Digital transformation is central to economic competitiveness, public sector modernisation, human capital development and national resilience.
Under the leadership of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, Ghana continues to pursue an ambitious digital transformation agenda aimed at positioning our country as a leading digital economy in Africa.
At the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, our focus remains deliberate and strategic.
We are working to expand digital infrastructure, strengthen nationwide connectivity, deepen digital inclusion and create an enabling environme nt for innovation, entrepreneurship and technological growth.
One of the defining challenges of our generation is the widening global digital skills gap.
As automation, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies continue to reshape industries and labour markets, the demand for advanced digital competencies is growing at an unprecedented pace.
Educational institutions must therefore evolve just as rapidly as technology itself.
Universities can no longer serve only as centres for academic instruction but must become engines of innovation, research, entrepreneurship and future-ready talent development.
Institutions such as KNUST have a particularly critical role to play in shaping Ghana’s digital future.
Our universities must lead national conversations around artificial intelligence governance, ethical technology development, cybersecurity, digital entrepreneurship, data systems, research commercialisation and innovation policy.
They must also foster stronger collaboration between academia, industry and government to ensure that innovation moves beyond theory into practical national impact.
The future of Ghana’s digital economy will depend not only on the technologies we adopt, but on the partnerships, we build and the talent we nurture.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, As we embrace artificial intelligence and digital learning systems, we must equally remain conscious of the risks and ethical implications associated with these technologies.
Issues such as algorithmic bias, misinformation, data privacy breaches, cybersecurity threats and unequal access must never be underestimated.
Technology must never become a new source of inequality or exclusion.
Instead, it must become a powerful tool for empowerment, opportunity and social progress.
This is why inclusion must remain at the very centre of our national digital transformation agenda.
We must ensure that rural communities, women, persons with disabilities, underserved populations and young people are not left behind in the digital revolution.
True digital transformation is not measured merely by technological sophistication.
It is measured by how many lives are positively transformed through technology.
The future workforce will require skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, software engineering, cloud computing, digital entrepreneurship and emerging technologies.
Educational institutions therefore have a profound responsibility to prepare students not merely for today’s jobs, but for the industries and opportunities of the future.
We must strengthen collaboration between academia, industry and government to ensure that research and innovation translate into practical national development outcomes.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Africa possesses one of the youngest populations in the world.
This demographic advantage presents enormous possibilities for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic transformation.
With the right investments in education, digital skills, research and innovation ecosystems, Africa can become a global hub for technological advancement and digital enterprise.
Ghana must position itself strategically within this emerging global landscape.