By Bertha Badu-Agyei
Accra, July 17, GNA-The Government of Ghana in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and European Union, has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy Training programme to equip 240 Civil Service staff as trainers within their respective institutions.
The training sought to strengthen the digital and technological capacities of the civil service staff as AI is transforming governance and service delivery across the globe.
Addressing participants at the opening ceremony, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, Head of the Civil Service, in a speech read on his behalf described the programme as significant not only for the Civil Service but for Ghana as a whole.
He commended the Ministry and EU/UNESCO for partnering to strengthen the digital and technological capacity of Civil Service staff at such critical time when AI had become a global tool.
He noted that due to rapid technological transformation, communication and service delivery was evolving, and at the centre of it was Artificial Intelligence,
“AI is no longer a distant or futuristic concept but is already influencing how governments and institutions operate worldwide,” he noted.
He said Ghana’s National AI Strategy provided a clear roadmap for integrating AI into national development and placed a responsibility on all public institutions to embraced innovation.
The Head of the Civil Service urged Human Resource Directors of the Service to integrate AI literacy into onboarding and orientation programmes for newly recruited staff.
He expressed optimism that the collaboration between EU/UNESCO and the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations would pave the way for more interventions aimed at preparing the Civil Service for an increasingly digital future.
Mr Alfred Nortey, on behalf of the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, indicated that, the training programme aligned directly with the implementation priorities of the National AI Strategy, particularly in human capacity development and AI literacy across institutions.
He assured Government’s commitment to creating an enabling ecosystem for AI development through investment in digital infrastructure, skills development, research, innovation, and institutional capacity building.
Mr Carl Ampah, a representative of UNESCO, said the initiative formed part of efforts to support the implementation of Ghana’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2025–2035), which sought to build an AI-powered society by 2033.
Participants were tasked to return to their institutions as resource persons to guide colleagues on the practical application of AI, including its opportunities, limitations, and relevance to public service delivery.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Bertha Badu-Agyei
Email: [email protected]