The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Mr Samuel Nartey George, has urged West African developers and cybersecurity professionals to treat the region’s digital security as a matter of national sovereignty.
At the opening of the ECOWAS Regional Hackathon at the Mensvic Grand Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, he cautioned that countries unable to defend their digital infrastructure risk becoming dependent on foreign vendors and external decision-making.
The Minister noted that the digital progress made across West Africa in recent years is now under threat. Citing the Interpol Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2025, he said the findings should concern policymakers, businesses, and citizens alike.
Mr George added that ransomware attacks are locking hospitals out of patient records, while business email compromise scams are draining millions of dollars from companies and government institutions under the guise of legitimate transactions.
The Minister acknowledged progress made by Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA), noting its collaboration with other security agencies to dismantle cybercrime and trafficking-linked scam centres, leading to the arrest of hundreds of suspects.
However, he expressed concern that many of those arrested were young people with genuine technical skills that had been misdirected.
“These are young people with real technical ability, but whose skills have been pointed in the wrong direction,” he said.
Mr George stated that Ghana is taking deliberate steps to address the talent gap through its One Million Coders Programme, a four-year national initiative aimed at equipping one million Ghanaians with skills in coding, cybersecurity, data science, and network support.
He reiterated Ghana’s commitment to advancing the region’s digital future, saying “Ghana is fully committed to this future and to working with every ECOWAS member state, every partner, and every one of you to make it a reality.”
The ECOWAS Regional Hackathon 2026 is a 48-hour event organised by the ECOWAS Commission in partnership with Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority.
Margaret Adjeley Sowah & Caleb Blaber, ISD
