Ghana’s Minister Urges Urgent AI Adoption to Combat Data Colonisation
This intensive program, developed in collaboration with UNDP, is scheduled for July 25–26, 2025, in the Eastern Region. Its aim is to introduce government leaders to fundamental AI principles and generate tailored AI use cases specific to each Ministry.
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP), has issued a powerful call for swift institutional reform, enhanced digital capacity, and the urgent adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within Ghana’s Civil Service. His warning centered on the critical need to prevent what he termed the next frontier of data colonisation.
Speaking at a public lecture hosted by the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS) as part of the 2025 Civil Service Week Celebration and 2024 Awards Ceremony in Accra, Hon. Nartey George stressed that transformation without vision would yield limited results. He cautioned Ghana against repeating past failures in technological transitions, emphasizing that public institutions risk obsolescence if they fail to adapt to emerging technologies like AI, automation, and e-governance.
“Computers did not erode jobs in the civil service; they enhanced them, those who refused to migrate from typewriters to computers were left behind. The same will happen with AI. If we do not reskill and upskill, we will become redundant.”
-Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP), Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Ghana.
He underscored Africa’s significant demographic advantage, noting that 68% of the continent’s 1.5 billion people are under 35 – a tech-savvy generation generating massive volumes of data. He warned that failing to manage and protect this data locally could expose the continent to digital exploitation.
In a proactive step towards mainstreaming AI across the public sector, Hon. Nartey George announced that all Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, and designated focal persons will participate in a two-day AI Boot Camp. This intensive program, developed in collaboration with UNDP, is scheduled for July 25–26, 2025, in the Eastern Region. Its aim is to introduce government leaders to fundamental AI principles and generate tailored AI use cases specific to each Ministry.
“The Ministry cannot be the only ICT institution driving AI adoption. It must be a whole-of-government approach. Every Minister will leave that camp with actionable cases to improve service delivery. To ensure the long-term sustainability of these initiatives, each Ministry is required to designate a technical focal person. This measure is designed to support implementation and preserve institutional memory, ensuring that “Ministers may change, but institutions must remain strong to ensure that we build a Civil Service that is future-proof.”
-Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP), Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Ghana.
