The government is set to inaugurate the GHS 200 million Digital Youth Hub, a flagship initiative under the Ghana CARES programme, in December 2024.
This announcement was made by the Director-General of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE), Dr. Collins Yeboah-Afari, who represented the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, at the 34th Congregation Ceremony of the Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU) on 30th November 2024, at its Tesano campus in Accra.
Dr Yeboah-Afari described the hub as a state-of-the-art facility designed to foster digital innovation among young entrepreneurs. It will provide training, mentorship, and resources in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital marketing, and financial technology (fintech). He underscored the hub’s significance in creating jobs, reducing unemployment, and supporting the growth of local technology companies.
"The government, through the Ministry, is constructing the Digital Youth Hub, a 200-million Ghana Cedi flagship project under the Ghana CARES initiative," he said. "The project, expected to be completed by December 2024, will foster digital innovation among young entrepreneurs and contribute to job creation and the growth of local tech companies."
He further highlighted the government's strides in digital connectivity under the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project. The initiative has successfully connected 1,460 out of 2,116 targeted communities, benefitting over 3.5 million Ghanaians as of October 2024. He also mentioned the rollout of the National Roaming System, which allows seamless access to network services across providers in rural areas, thus bridging the digital divide.
The Vice-Chancellor of GCTU, Professor Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to advancing Ghana’s digitalisation agenda. "We are poised to lead the digitalisation agenda the government is pursuing by building the capacity to train a skilled workforce for the digital economy," he said. He noted that GCTU is the only institution in Ghana offering specialised programmes such as information systems, data science, analytics, and the Internet of Things.
However, he acknowledged the challenges faced by the university, particularly regarding infrastructure.
"Now that we have been given a special mandate, we see increased enrolment as our graduates are the best in the industry. Yet, infrastructure remains limited," he stated.
He added that the government is supporting the university by initiating a procurement process to construct a 3,000-bed hostel to enhance student accommodation.
The Digital Youth Hub and GCTU’s progress underscore Ghana’s dedication to building an inclusive digital economy while equipping its youth for a technology-driven future.
In total, the university celebrated the graduation of 1,568 students, comprising 2 PhD graduates, 43 Coventry University graduates, 13 GCTU master’s graduates, and 1,508 undergraduates who completed programmes across the ICT, Business, and Engineering faculties.