By Muyid Deen Suleman, GNA
Kumasi, Oct. 13, GNA – The government is committed to expanding digital inclusion, strengthen telecommunications infrastructure and enhance access to digital skills training, as part of efforts to drive Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
Mr. Samuel Nartey George, Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, who stated this, said the Ministry was working towards establishing physical offices for the Cyber Security Authority in the regions to reinforce the Authority’s operational presence and support cyber security interventions nationwide.
The Minister was speaking at a ceremony to present additional 2,000 laptops to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, to bolster the One Million Coders Programme (OMCP), which is being implemented at the university.
This latest donation complements an initial batch of 500 laptops provided during the first phase of the programme, bringing the total number of laptops delivered to the university to 2,500.
The presentation formed part of the Minister’s tour to inspect digital coding centres in the Ashanti region.
The OMCP is a flagship initiative of the government of Ghana, designed to equip one million Ghanaians with critical digital and tech-related skills over a multi-year period to drive employment and foster innovation.
The program also aims to improve network connectivity in underserved rural communities and advance digital literacy across the country.
Professor Jerry John Kponyo, an Associate Professor of Telecommunications Engineering at KNUST, who briefed the Minister on the progress of work of the centre, stated that, out of the 1,447 students enrolled onto the programme at the university, 195 have successfully completed the program, while 313 students currently require learning support across the various centers.
These training hubs include the Department of Computer Science, the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Faculty of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, and the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Lab.
He noted that KNUST would require more centers to accommodate incoming first-year students who wish to enroll.
Providing a breakdown of the anticipated laboratory expansion, he indicated the need for a 500-seat multi-purpose lab, a 500-seat Library Mall facility, a 500-seat computer lab at the College of Engineering, a 400-seat ICT center, and a 600-seat facility at the Obuasi campus.
He emphasized that the goal of the initiative was to ensure that all graduates of the program were successfully connected to job opportunities.
Mr Nartey and his delegation also visited the Kwadaso Regional Information Center (RIC), the Asawase Community Information Center (CIC), and the Nkwantakese Community Information Center.
Earlier, the Minister and his team called on Dr. Frank Amoakohene, the Ashanti Regional Minister at the RCC Conference Center to brief him on the scheduled inspection tour in the region.
Dr. Amoakohene assured the delegation of his full support and wished them a successful tour of the region.
The Ministry of Communications encouraged the public to take advantage of this government-led coding initiative and register.
The One Million Coders Program (OMCP) is entirely free of charge, the Ministry stated.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Kenneth Odeng Adade