3.5 million Ghanaians to have internet access by 2023

The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, has disclosed that about 3.5 million Ghanaians are expected to be connected to the internet by close of the year 2023.

She made the disclosure yesterday at the Techiman Campus of the Valley View University in the Bono East Region while delivering a keynote address to climax the National Girls in ICT programme.

According to the Minister, her ministry is poised to facilitate and develop community ICT centres and cell sites across the country to ensure that a large number of Ghanaians have access to mobile networks.

She indicated that, per research, there are about 3.5 million Ghanaians without mobile connectivity and that by the end of next year, “this group of people will heave a sigh of relief”.

“The establishment of more than two thousand centres and sites is in progress and on track to make this a reality. We have made it our focus to construct ICT centres and rural telephony sites across the country to aid in the teaching and learning of ICT courses for our girls and the youth in general to provide an opportunity for girls and young women in the country to gain knowledge and exposure to technology,” she said.

Rural telephone project

To address the access issue, she said the Ministry, through GIFEC, is implementing a Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project, which forecasts the construction of more than 2000 sites for connectivity nationwide.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful noted that, since 2020, over 700 sites hae already been built, and many communities had been connected, stressing that all sites would have been completed by the end of next year.

“Since the beginning of the Girl-in-ICT programme in 2012, this is the first time that five regions are celebrating the programme separately within a year. This kind of development is exceptional,” she described.

She further stated that each of some 100 girls from all the eleven selected districts received laptop rewards while others received cash awards and some incentives for their schools, including coding clubs, fully furnished ICT laboratories among others.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful urged the Regional Coordinating Council to take ownership of the facilities, and ensure their proper maintenance.

Solidarity

The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Eric Mensah Bonsu, re-emphasised the importance of technology in the economy, and urged the beneficiaries to be empowered by their training.

Ms Afua Brown-Eyeson, President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Ghana), went through some sections of the Cyber Security Act, (Act 2020) with the children. She entreated them to stay away from unfriendly people on the internet so that they will not become victims of their demands.

The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of TVET, Gifty Twum Ampofo, encouraged the participants to study hard and take advantage of some government initiatives like the Free Senior High School initiative.

She also emphasised the need for them to study beyond the classroom to enrich their minds and develop a global perspective.

“The world is becoming a global village. One needs to make use of technology to make progress. As girls, you need to take research seriously, both in and out of school. Make the most of this training and the president’s Free Senior High School programme,” she advised.