The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Mr Samuel Nartey George, has secured a collaboration with Huawei Technologies to provide free artificial intelligence (AI) training for girls under the government’s flagship ICT for Girls Programme.
The multi-million-dollar commitment was secured during a meeting with Huawei Senior Vice President Steven Yi at the ongoing Mobile World Congress 2026 from 2nd to 5th March in Barcelona, Spain.
The ministry, in collaboration with the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), will roll out the training this year for 3,000 girls.
According to the Minister, the ICT for Girls Programme covers modules in coding, animation, and basic computing. With Huawei’s support, AI skills will now be added, enabling participants to transition into Ghana’s One Million Coders Programme for advanced training.
“Once the girls get training in AI, they can immediately build on it. This means we are catching them young,” Mr George explained.
Beyond training, discussions also touched on the possibility of Huawei establishing a handheld device assembly plant in Ghana. The initiative, aligned with GSM Association’s plan to provide $40 smart devices across Africa, would make Ghana a hub for affordable smartphones in West Africa.
Mr George emphasised that affordability is key, noting that while Ghana has over 90% 4G coverage, usage remains below 60% due to the high cost of smartphones.
He indicated Ghana’s political stability, economic growth, and strategic location make it well-positioned to host such a plant.
“We made a clean headway on that front with Huawei, and we look forward to it. But I made it clear that quality and affordability are non-negotiable,” he stated.
Margaret Adjeley Sowah, ISD
