Ghana to roll out ‟One Million Coders Program”

Richardson Kwaku
Accra, Ghana
April 22, 2025

T he government of Ghana has identified ICT as a potential source of job creations and driver of economic growth. The government’s assessment of the sector highlights the growing digital economy. But, it also points to the challenges policymakers, businesses, and citizens continue to face in adapting to the pace of technological change. Over the past two decades, increasing mobile connectivity, a thriving tech startup ecosystem, and innovative solutions has marked Ghana’s digital transformation in financial technology, e-commerce, and education.

According to the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, the ICT sector in Ghana was worth about US$1.00 billion dollar per year from 2022. Industry analysts expect the sector to growth especially in infrastructure, hardware, internet access, and data centers. But the sector faces challenges such as dependence on import for equipment and technology, digital divides, cybersecurity threats, and low digital literacy. The government is rolling out the “Digital Jobs Initiative” to tackle the digital literacy weakness in the industry.

The structure of the program

The new government’s ‟Digital Jobs Initiative” is a US$3.00 billion investments in partnership with the private sector to leverage ICT for the creation of jobs. It has four distinct but intertwined sub-programs. They are:

1. ° The ‟One Million Coders Program” aims to train one million young Ghanaians in digital skills such as coding, Web app development and software engineering.

   ° The government will build ‟Regional Digital Centres” (modelled on the Accra Digital Centre) to facilitate the expansion of “Business Process Outsourcing” or (BPO). This program will also develop a ‟Knowledge Process Outsourcing” or (KPO) sectors for job creation.

   ° Ghana plans to establish a US$50 million FinTech Growth Fund will to promote the growth of digital entrepreneurs and provide financing to indigenous FinTech companies.

   ° The four sub-program intends to create ‟Zonal ICT Parks” nationwide to make Ghana the hub for innovation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity in Africa. The program will upgrade existing ICT parks, such as the Dawa ICT Park.

The ICT landscape

The sector comprises mobile telecommunication companies, internet service providers, software developers, and training institutions. The Ministry of Communications regulated this ICT sector, and Digitalization and the National Communications Authority (NCA).

In the private sector, multinational companies dominate the landscape. Google in the digital data, Microsoft (software) and Amazon with cloud services. The Ghana Cybersecurity Authority maintains a database of 51 licensed domestic cybersecurity companies, while the Bank of Ghana has licensed 37 FinTech service providers. TechBehemoths.com lists 35 companies active in web development, software development, web design, UI/UX design, digital marketing.

In the private sector, multinational companies dominate the landscape. Google in the digital data, Microsoft (software) and Amazon with cloud services. The Ghana Cybersecurity Authority maintains a database of 51 licensed domestic cybersecurity companies, while the Bank of Ghana has licensed 37 FinTech service providers. TechBehemoths.com lists 35 companies active in web development, software development, web design, UI/UX design, digital marketing.

Ghana has five submarine cable providers; SAT-3, MainOne, WASC, Glo, and ACE and eight medium-sized commercial data centers.

Dependence on import

According to trade data from the US International Trade Administration (ITA), in 2019, ICT goods imports accounted for 2.47 percent of Ghana’s goods imports, totaling US$258 million. Ghana imports mobile phones, tablets, computers, cables, networking switches, routers, and backup devices like UPSs. Therefore, the country has to depend on external supplies for maintenance and spare parts.

The country needs investments in the ICT. The state is mobilizing revenues for that purpose through taxation. In April 2023, Ghana introduced a new VAT tax system for non-resident suppliers of services that are provided via the internet. Ghana is also receiving financing from development organizations. In 2022, the World Bank approved an amount of US$200 million to foster the Government’s digitalization drive of increasing access to broadband in the country. This program will promote digital inclusion and close the regional digital gap.

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