Mahama Unveils One Million Coders Programme to Revolutionize Ghana’s Digital Future

KEY POINTS

President Mahama launched the One Million Coders Programme, aimed at providing young Ghanaians with digital skills to enhance job creation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.

The program emphasizes inclusivity by targeting rural communities, women, and persons with disabilities, and will be integrated into national education curricula.

The government plans to expand digital infrastructure and establish community centers across the country to ensure widespread access to the programme.

President John Dramani Mahama launched the One Million Coders Programme in Accra, outlining its potential to reshape Ghana’s digital landscape.

The program aims to empower the country’s youth with the digital skills needed for job creation, economic growth, and entrepreneurial innovation.

President Mahama highlighted four main strategic benefits that Ghana stands to gain from this ambitious initiative. He emphasized that the program would not only provide skills but also create opportunities for employment, particularly within the global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) market. He noted that the BPO market, valued at $410 billion in 2023, is projected to reach nearly $490 billion by 2029, with countries like India and the Philippines dominating the space.

“Ghana is strategically positioned with its location on the Greenwich Meridian, an English-speaking population, and a vibrant, tech-savvy youth. With the right infrastructure and digital skills, our youth can attract outsourced jobs and boost the local economy,” Mahama said.

The second major benefit outlined by the President was entrepreneurship. Mahama stressed that coding skills would enable young Ghanaians to create applications, launch startups, and develop digital solutions that address local challenges in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and governance.

“One idea can transform a community, and one startup can create hundreds of jobs,” Mahama remarked, pointing to the transformative power of technology in the modern era.

According to Ghana Business News, he further highlighted the importance of education and lifelong learning, stating that digital literacy would be integrated into the national curriculum. Through collaborations between the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation, and the Ministry of Education, coding will become a permanent part of educational training across universities and technical schools.

Inclusive approach to digital transformation by Mahama

The third benefit of the programme, according to the President, was the emphasis on inclusion. Mahama stressed that digital transformation should be accessible to everyone, ensuring that no group—whether rural communities, women, or persons with disabilities—was left behind. The government’s commitment to equity was visible in the composition of the first cohort, which included 560 trainees from Accra, Kumasi, Sunyani, and Bolgatanga, representing both gender and regional diversity.

“This programme ensures that everyone has access to the opportunity of digital education, no matter where they live. Our goal is to empower every Ghanaian, regardless of their background, with the skills they need to thrive in the digital economy,” Mahama said.