ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, as we talk about next-generation finance, we must be honest with ourselves.
The future of banking in West Africa will not be secured by legacy systems with cosmetic upgrades.
It will not be secured by innovation that prioritises speed over stability, or profit over trust.
A financial system that lacks resilience will fail under pressure.
One that cannot scale will leave too many people behind.
And one that is not customer-centric will eventually lose legitimacy.
Trust, in the end, remains the true currency of banking.
Next-generation finance, therefore, is not simply about faster payments or smarter applications.
It is about rethinking the logic of finance itself.
It requires us to ask difficult but necessary questions: who does the system truly serve?
Who controls the infrastructure and the data?
And who ultimately benefits when innovation scales?
If our financial systems do not deliberately include small businesses, women, young people, farmers, informal sector operators, and first -time users of formal finance, then we are not building the future.
We are simply digitising old inequalities.
One important lesson Ghana has learned is that strong private innovation depends on strong public digital infrastructure.
Secure digital identity systems, interoperable payment platforms, trusted data governance frameworks, and clear regulatory rules are the foundations that make innovation sustainable.
They reduce risk, build confidence, and create a level playing field.
This is why, under the Mahama administration, we are reaffirming our commitment to building digital public infrastructure that supports competition, protects consumers, and strengthens national capacity.
Initiatives such as the Data Exchange Hub are central to this vision, enabling secure and seamless data sharing across institutions while safeguarding privacy.
Likewise, the forthcoming Data Harmonization Bill will ensure consistency, trust, and accountability in how data is managed across the financial ecosystem.
Regulation, in this context, must be properly understood.
Regulation is not the enemy of innovation; poor regulation is.
In today’s financial landscape, smart, adaptive, and forward - looking regulation is a strategic asset.
Jurisdictions that protect consumers, secure data, enforce accountability, and preserve systemic stability are the ones that attract long -term investment and credible partnerships.
Regulatory arbitrage may offer short -term advantages, but it always comes with long -term costs, costs that are often paid by citizens and taxpayers.
Our responsibility, therefore, is to ensure that regulation evolves alongside innovation, not behind it.
As finance becomes more digital, it also becomes more vulnerable.
Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue; it is an economic security issue.
Data is no longer only a commercial asset; it is a strategic national resource.
A single breach in one institut ion can quickly cascade across an entire financial system, eroding trust in a matter of hours.
This reality calls for stronger data protection regimes, greater local cybersecurity capacity, clear rules on cross -border data flows, and deeper regional cooperation on digital risk management.
Financial resilience in West Africa cannot be built in isolat ion.
It must be collective, coordinated, and forward-looking.
At the heart of all of this is the human being.
Technology does not automatically create inclusion; policy choices do.
If innovation does not reduce the cost of credit, shorten the distance to financial services, improve access for SMEs, and empower the informal sector, then it has failed its most basic test.
Customer-centric banking in West Africa must reflect the lived realities of our people.
It must speak to traders in our markets, farmers in rural communities, young entrepreneurs building digital startups, and families seeking dignity and security through access to finance.
No single country can build a globally competitive financial ecosystem on its own.
Regional interoperability, regulatory dialogue, and shared infrastructure are no longer aspirations; they are necessities.
Finance must become a bridge to West African integration, not a barrier.
As we mark twenty-five years of the Connected Banking Summit, this moment calls for more than reflection.
It calls for recommitment.
A recommitment to building financial systems that are resilient by design, scalable with purpose, and grounded in trust.
We must scale innovation without sacrificing sovereignty, accountability, or inclusion.
The future of banking in West Africa will not be shaped by technology alone.
It will be shaped by values, governance, and the courage to make the right choices, even when those choices are difficult.
I commend the International Centre for Strategic Alliances for convening this milestone edition and for recognising excellence across the financial ecosystem.
May this summit deliver commitments, collaborations and lasting impact.
Ghana stands ready, under the leadership of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, to work with all stakeholders to build a secure, inclusive, and future-ready financial ecosystem for West Africa.
Thank you for your attention, and I wish you productive and meaningful deliberations.
God bless West Africa.
And God bless our shared future.
9033REPUBLIC OF GHANA GHANA TO FIGHT E-COMMERCE & DIGITAL FRAUD IN SUPPORT OF AFCFTA This directive applies to DSBOs such as Uber, Glovo, Bolt, Yango, Jiji, Tonaton, Jumia, Hubtel, UberEats, Bolt Food, Plendify, Melcom.com, Maxmartghana.com etc.
All Digital Service & Business Operators (DSBOs) in Ghana, particularly those in e- commerce, e-logistics, e-trade, and e-services are hereby notified to comply with all relevant electronic, e-commerce and logistics laws in Ghana, such as Section 10 of Act 649, the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission Act, which makes goods delivery and courier activities in Ghana a regulated service, and Sections 47 to 49 of Act 772, the Electronic Transactions Act, which specifies the minimum compliance standards for e-commerce operators.
It is imperative to enforce measures to reduce e-commerce fraud in Ghana to ensure the success of digital trading platforms, applications and services.
Ghana is actively working to put measures in place to operationalise the African Continental Free Trade Area to boost the economic integration of the continent.
To engender trust and encourage greater usage of digital platforms for internal, regional and continental trade, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization hereby issues the following directives.
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITALISATION DSBOs must note and comply with the following Compliance Guidelines: 1.
It is illegal to operate a digital platform for physical goods delivery in Ghana without registering with the Postal & Courier Services Regulatory Commission (PCSRC).
All courier and delivery service providers (DSPs) must register with the PCSRC which has streamlined the registration process for DSPs on the AfCFTA Hub.
All DSPs should visit and follow the prompts on how to register for the PCSRC e-certificate and obtain an AfCFTA Number.
DSBOs operating in Ghana must verify the PCSRC e-certificates for DSPs on the AfCFTA Hub by the end of November 2023.
From December 19th, 2023 onwards, DSBOs must cease onboarding or working with new DSPs that have not registered with the PCSRC and obtained the requisite e-certificate.
It is mandatory for all DSBOs, including e-commerce, ride-sharing courier operators, and e-logistics platforms to register on the PCRSC portal.
Logistics operators connected to ports must also register, with assistance from the Ghana Revenue Authority.
Box M38, Accra-Ghana Digital Address: GA-079-0539 Kindly quote this number and date on all correspondence My Ref No.
/oa Your Ref No.
URSULA OWUSU-EKUFUL (MP) MINISTER The AfCFTA Hub is supported on a continental level by the AfCFTA Secretariat, African Union 4D, and AfroChampions and will be replicated across the continent.
We are counting on the full support of all stakeholders for the success of this rcise as this will promote the exponential growth of digital trade for their benefit, exercise.
The Government of Ghana launched the AfCFTA Hub on August 29th, 2022, to enhance digital trade while reducing fraud, illicit trade, and abuse.
The AfCFTA Hub will complement other African Union 4D platforms like the ProPer Seals and Tranzyt platforms to enhance commerce in an environment of trust and security.
Policy Directives issued in this regard are therefore to ensure smooth compliance with registration and verification procedures by DSBOs and DSPs within the existing regulatory framework.
These directives have become necessary because of persistent non-compliance with the law in the digital business space in Ghana, particularly regarding courier and delivery services notwithstanding notices sent by the Ministry and relevant agencies to DSBOs and DSPs to regular use their operations since August 2022.
Ghana's strategic goal of becoming the AfCFTA gateway could be affected if digital fraud is not controlled.
The responsibility for verifying the registration status of all drivers, couriers and agents lies with DSBOs and DSPs who must ensure they have valid PCSRC e- certificates and AfCFTA Numbers before doing business with them.
DSBOs and DSPs must also facilitate consumers verification of the registration of couriers and delivery agents and provide a means for consumers to file complaints and rate services online using PCSRC e-certificate IDs.
DSBOs and DSPs on existing platforms have until January 24th, 2024, to obtain PCSRC e-certificates for all affiliated drivers, couriers, and delivery agents which are active on their networks.
Additional information on compliance and enforcement can be obtained from afcfta.pcsrc.gov.gh, by contacting PCSRC in person, or through email: info@afcfta.aDD.
Distribution: All Digital Services Business Operators (DSBOs) All E-Commerce companies in Ghana All Ride-Sharing companies in Ghana All Postal and Courier companies in Ghana Parcel delivery operators including transport operators All Digital Service Providers (DSPs)
WEDNESDAY , JUNE 17, 2026 KEYNOTE REMARKS DELIVERED BY HON.
SAMUEL NARTEY GEORGE (MP) MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION, DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY , AND INNOVATIONS AT THE GOOGLE POLICY FORUM FOR GHANA, SCB BUILDING 87 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE GOOGLE OFFICES, ACCRA Mr.
Charles Murito, Regional Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa – Google; Distinguished representatives of Google; Esteemed leaders from industry, academia, and Ghana's innovation community; Good morning.
I. A STRATEGIC CONVENING Ghana does not attend forums of this kind to celebrate the past.
We attend to define the future.
This morning's convening is significant not merely because Google has chosen to gather us here, but because it reflects something more fundamental: a maturing strategic partnership between the Government of Ghana and one of the world's most consequential technology institutions — a partnership grounded not in goodwill alone, but in shared accountability for outcomes that matter to the Ghanaian people.
Under the theme "Driving Digital Transformation in Ghana, Together, " the word together carries deliberate weight.
It is a declaration of co - responsibility.
Government sets the direction.
Industry brings the scale.
Together, we are accountable to the citizens whose lives this transformation must improve.
THE GOVERNING FRAMEWORK: GHANA'S NATIONAL AI STRATEGY 2025–2035 Let me begin where all productive conversations about Ghana's digital future must begin: with our policy foundation.
Earlier this year, the Government of Ghana launched the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2025 to 2035 — our ten-year national roadmap for harnessing artificial intelligence as a driver of inclusive, technology - powered economic growth across every sector of our economy.
This strategy is not aspirational language dressed in policy clothing.
It is an operational blueprint, built on eight core pillars: expanding local digital infrastructure; deepening academic and research collaboration; establishing a robust data governance and protection framework; nurturing a homegrown AI ecosystem; building a skilled and adaptable digital workforce; ensuring ethical and responsible AI deployment; promoting AI adoption across key productive sectors; and positioning Ghana as a competitive node in the global digital economy.
Our target is unambiguous: the addition of five hundred billion Ghanaian cedis to our GDP through the disciplined, strategic, and accountable deployment of artificial intelligence.
Every initiative we discuss today — and every commitment made beyond this room — must be evaluated against that strategy.
It is our governing framework.
It is our non-negotiable North Star.
DIGITAL WORKFORCE: THE ONE MILLION CODERS PROGRAMME AND GOOGLE CAREER CERTIFICATES A national AI strategy is only as powerful as the workforce equipped to execute it.
This is why the partnership between the Ministry and Google on workforce development stands among the most consequential investments currently underway in Ghana's digital economy.
This year, we opened applications for one hundred thousand Google Career Cer tificate Scholarships, distributed exclusively through the One Million Coders Programme — the Government of Ghana's flagship initiative to build one million digitally competent citizens by 2030.
These scholarships are not soft -skills curricula.
They deliver rigorous, industry-recognised training in the disciplines that define competitive advantage in the modern economy: Artificial Intelligence Essentials, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, UX Design, and Project Management.
The pathways are structured to be accessible to Ghanaians wherever they are — flexible in delivery, unrestricted by geography, and open to participants regardless of prior academic background.
The deliberate decision to embed this scholarship programme within One Million Coders is itself a policy statement.
We are not creating parallel pipelines; we are concentrating resources into a single, coherent national workforce development architecture.
Scale requires discipline.
Ghana's digital workforce ambition demands both.
DIGITAL INCLUSION AS NATIONAL POLICY: THE WAXAL LANGUAGE DATASET Workforce readiness is necessary.
But it is not sufficient if the technology our workforce builds speaks to only a fraction of the citizens it is meant to serve.
Ghana is a multilingual nation.
A digital economy that functions primarily in English is a digital economy that excludes millions of Ghanaians from full participation.
This Ministry will not preside over a digital transformation that leaves our communities behind by design.
That is precisely why the launch of the WAXAL open-source African language dataset is a development of strategic national importance.
This landmark initiative — built with critical and distinguished contributions from scholars at the University of Ghana — incorporates Akan, Ewe, Fante, Dagaare, and Dagbani into an open-source collection that enables developers to build AI applications that are genuinely inclusive: not merely globally functional, but locally resonant.
I extend formal commendation to the University of Ghana for the scholarship that underpins this work.
Their academic rigour is the foundation on which this initiative rests.
The policy implication is clear: language is not a cultural nicety — it is infrastructure.
When our AI systems speak our languages, we are not simply closing a technology gap; we are affirming that every Ghanaian community holds equal standing in our digital future.
GEOSPATIAL INFRASTRUCTURE: GOOGLE STREET VIEW RETURNS TO GHANA Alongside our investments in human capital and linguistic inclusion, we are also advancing the geospatial data infrastructure that underpins intelligent national development.
I am pleased to formally announce that Google Street View is returning to Ghana — the first major refresh of imagery in a decade.
The vibrant streets of Accra and Kumasi, our breathtaking coastline, our UNESCO World Heritage Sites, our traditional Asante a rchitecture, and our historic coastal forts will once again be fully visible to the world at global scale.
The benefits are tangible and multi -dimensional.
For our tourism sector, a high-quality, navigable digital representation of Ghana's landscapes and landmarks constitutes a powerful promotional asset on the world stage.
For urban planners and infrastructure managers, accurate, current geospatial imagery provides the real -time data required for sound development decisions.
For local businesses, reliable geolocation infrastructure supports everything from logistics to customer discovery.
And for our ministries and agencies, current street -level and aerial data enables evidence -based policymaking and real-time monitoring of national development priorities.
Ghana has a story of extraordinary richness to tell.
This refresh ensures that the world can see it, explore it, and experience it — and ensures that our own planners and policymakers have the data they need to develop it wisely.
THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT I will close with a clear statement of this Government's commitment — because clarity of intent matters as much as the initiatives we announce.
The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations is committed to enacting a progressive and enabling policy environment: one that supports interoperability, champions local innovation, enforces robust data protection for every Ghanaian, a nd creates the regulatory and infrastructural conditions in which technology companies, startups, research institutions, and civil society can collaborate and compete at the highest level.
We are committed to the National AI Strategy not as a document, but as a governing discipline — a framework against which we will hold ourselves accountable, and against which we invite our partners to hold us accountable in equal measure.
And we are committed to this partnership — not as a courtesy, but as a strategic necessity.
Google brings global scale, technological depth, and a capacity for innovation that no government can replicate alone.
What this Government brings is clear mandate, national direction, and the full weight of the Ghanaian public interest.
Together, those are more than sufficient to secure Ghana's position as Africa's definitive digital pioneer.
1 The Director General of Smart Africa Secretariat and the team, The African Union Commission, Commission, Our Benin delegation on Peer Learning Exchange Development Partners GIZ, Government Agencies represented Staff of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, The Executive Director and Staff of the Data Protection The Data Pop Alliance Experts from Academia, the private and civil society, and all stakeholders represented for this validation workshop of the National Data Governance Strategy, your participation and insights are crucial to the success of this initiative.
The Smart Africa Secretariat, in partnership with GIZ and championed by Ghana, developed the Continental Data Governance Blueprint .
Based on the recommendations of the African Union Continental Data Policy Framework, this blueprint highlighted clear , pragmatic strategies, model licenses, standards, and tools that African governments can use or adopt for data governance.
Also, Ghana is one of the implementation countries to foster digital skills, including data skills, for the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA).
This nation is well into the bold, deliberate initiatives to digitalise the economy, believing that deploying critical IT systems and technologies acquired will best maximi se the use of data by unlocking its potential, promoting data sharing, analytics, and reuse for the general public good.
With an increasing adoption of advanced technology in the management of data, the prioritisation of data governance is critical to the success of the digitisation effort.
The purpose of the National Data Governance Strategy is to; • Develop both basic and economy-specific infrastructure.
2 • Facilitate access to public data.
• Create trust mechanisms for both the public and private sectors of the economy.
• Build capacity for individuals and institutions.
A good data governance strategy includes a well -designed governance program involving a Governance Team to steer the affairs and develop the data management standards and Data Stewards to implement, monitor, and enforce the related policies and procedures.
On behalf of the Hon ourable Minister, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the members who have accepted the invitation to this session.
Your willingness to collaborate is greatly appreciated and we urge all institutions managing key data assets to join us in this important endeavor.
We hope that you r deliberations will be fruitful and that we will be able to deliver the planned strategy as soon as possible.
We assure you of the Ministry’s commitment to this project and hope we have a good working document.
We are grateful for your participation and look forward to your continued involvement.
LAUNCH OF THE GIRLS IN ICT TRUST -MINISTERS BRIEF REMARKS Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to thank you for staying with us through today’s exciting program.
I am so proud of the young ladies.
I feel strongly that they may be the leadership beacons of the future.
You have heard the story of the GIICT initiative.
Over the last 12 years we have touched the lives of girls across the country.
We have introduced them to the wonder of technology.
We have introduced them to strong female role models.
Today you have met our graduates from Accra.
I hope you have an idea of the potential they have.
I wish you could meet their sisters across the country.
They are a national asset.
As I indicated earlier in my speech, we have realized how much more we could do to expand the program.
It is the desire of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation to offer more girls a more indepth training, with age appropriate content, and a developmental curriculum.
We thought of the value that global interaction and best practice competitive content would add to their training.
We also thought the difference a long term relationship with a role model working in ICT or STEM could make.
I am proud to tell you that out of the opportunities we have identified for growth, the lessons learned over 12 years of execution, and knowledge gained from feedback from stakeholders like yourselves, Our GIICT Initiative is going to be transformed.
The GIICT is being transformed to a sustainable, and scalable nationwide initiative that will produce a pipeline of more than three times as many girls annually.
With your support, we will create a structure in each of Ghana’s 16 regions targeting girls aged 8 to 22 with a comprehensive program of face to face training programs and competitive and collaborative online content.
We intend to provide training and support to girls and young women close to where they live and go to school.
We will put them in regular contact with role models to advise and encourage them.
And, we will work with national stakeholders and communities to increase the opportunities available to young women interested in education and careers in STEM and ICT.
I urge you to consider being a part of this new and improved program.
Girls in ICT could not have made it this far without your support.
We can not actualize this vision without your support.
Together we can unlock the potential of a huge national asset; our young girls and women.
This is one important step in the path to digital inclusion.
We intend to train 9000 graduates annually and this will definitely speed Ghana’s path to digital transformation.
Nii Chair, Hon Ministers, Agency Heads, Potential partners, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, from GIICT day, to GIICT Initiative, I am proud to give you the Ghana Girls in ICT Trust.
On that note, I duly launch the Ghana Girls in ICT Trust.
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