AI for Advancing Inclusion: Minister George Outlines Ghana’s Strategy for Localized and Responsible Innovation

AI as a Catalyst Across Key Sectors

Minister George highlighted five strategic areas where AI is being deployed to transform public services and drive national development in Ghana: agriculture, healthcare, education, financial inclusion, and government services.

In agriculture, AI supports precision farming, improves access to commodity exchanges, and leverages satellite imagery to optimize soil testing and crop planning.  In healthcare, the Ministry is extending telemedicine services to underserved rural communities. Education initiatives are similarly leveraging AI to bridge geographic and socioeconomic divides. Financial inclusion is another priority. AI-powered fintech platforms are enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access credit that traditional banks might not provide. In 2025 alone, third-party platforms have provided loans totaling $200 million to SMEs across Ghana, directly supporting economic growth. AI tools help improve credit profiling, reduce default rates, and ensure responsible lending.

Finally, AI is being applied to governance, with initiatives like the Ghana.gov 2.0 platform bringing more than 16,000 government services to citizens’ devices. This effort is aimed at creating a more responsive, efficient, and digitally empowered government.

“I look at AI not just as artificial intelligence, but as a tool to advance inclusion. AI could actually stand for advancing inclusion or advancing inequality—it’s up to you. The policies you put in place will either widen the digital gap or help close it, and that is exactly what we want to use artificial intelligence for. One of the key initiatives we are focusing on is our data harmonization act. This allows us to take large volumes of data from multiple silos across the country, harmonize and process it, and perform proper data mining to make informed decisions that benefit the Ghanaian people.”

–Honorable Samuel Nartey George (MP), Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Ghana

 

Localized AI for Africa

Minister George stressed that African countries have a unique opportunity to shape AI solutions that reflect local realities. The effectiveness of AI depends on the quality and relevance of its training data. With a youth population of 1.4 billion and diverse datasets across the continent, Africa has an untapped resource for developing AI systems tailored to its needs.

By harmonizing and properly annotating data collected across sectors, governments can provide innovators with the tools to build machine learning models grounded in African contexts. “The solutions to the problems in Accra do not reside in Barcelona or Paris. They reside in Accra,” George emphasized. This localized approach ensures that AI systems are relevant, inclusive, and aligned with African priorities.

Responsible Innovation and Policy Frameworks

Minister George outlined Ghana’s approach to regulating emerging technologies, including AI, machine learning, blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The country has introduced an Emerging Technologies Bill designed to encourage responsible innovation while safeguarding citizens’ data sovereignty.

Academic partnerships, such as the Responsible AI Lab at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, are guiding policy development and establishing guardrails for AI use. These frameworks aim to balance innovation with accountability, ensuring AI does not exploit personal data or exacerbate inequality.

Preventing Data Colonization

George warned against the potential for “data colonization” by global technology companies. Without local control over African datasets, international corporations could dominate AI development on the continent, defining how data is used and monetized. By harmonizing data, breaking down silos, and asserting ownership, African governments can retain control and ensure AI serves local populations.

“Big tech is coming,” George stated. “One in four human beings will be African by 2030. If we do not control our data, we risk allowing external entities to define how it is used. We must prepare to protect our citizens’ data while enabling innovation.”