The Director General for Ghana- India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE), Dr. Collins Yeboah-Afari has stated that the Centre will always play a leading role in programmes that bolster female participation in STEM and the digital economy.
Speaking at the Girls in ICT Open Day event organized at the Centre’s auditorium on July 29, Dr. Yeboah-Afari said the Centre has been privileged to support capacity building in digital skills and mentoring of thousands of girls on the Girls in ICT programme spearheaded by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD).
According to him, it is essential that Ghanaian girls are provided with the much-needed opportunities and the Girls in ICT initiative holds significant value as it delivers a two-fold benefit.
“Firstly, it addresses the digital gender divide and secondly, it equips the nation with the next generation of women who are better prepared for the global digital job market,” he said.
He added that the three core mandates of GI-KACE which are capacity building, research and innovation, and advisory services in ICT are strategically aligned with the government’s digitalisation agenda.
“Our capacity-building mandate specifically positions GI-KACE to contribute significantly to the implementation of the Girls in ICT program. We allocate facilitators, particularly female facilitators, to support the training of these girls,” he disclosed
He urged the girls to value the knowledge they have attained under the Girls In ICT initiative while assuring them of GI-KACE’s unending support.
“Regardless of the career paths you choose, I am confident that the knowledge and skills you have acquired will be invaluable assets. We encourage you to leverage the program as a springboard for further education and exploration of your interest in ICT. Remember, the doors at GI-KACE are always open to provide you with continued training opportunities in this field,” he emphasized.
Dr. Yeboah-Afari commended all the sponsors who supported the initiative and encouraged other organisations in the private sector, civil society organizations, international governmental organisations, and all relevant stakeholders to join in promoting digital inclusion, particularly by supporting the capacity building of girls in digital skills, to contribute to national development.
“By developing a digitally skilled population, we can collectively make a significant contribution towards national development,” he noted.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Deputy Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Charles Acheampong assured women especially girls, that the ministry will construct a digital youth village as a continuity measure for the digital capacity and entrepreneurship skills development for the youth in Ghana.
Mr. Acheampong indicated that as part of the plans to ensure that more young girls benefit from the Girls In ICT (GIICT) initiative, the ministry has launched the Girls in ICT Trust to focus on developing tailored and age-appropriate training for young girls.
According to him, it is anticipated that the lives of over 5,000 girls will be impacted under the trust, making them globally ready with their compatriots from other countries, which is in line with attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) four and five.
He said the construction of the digital youth village, which will be located at the University of Ghana campus, is expected to be completed in October 2024 and equipped with modern infrastructure, technologies, and amenities to provide a unique environment for innovations, learning, and skills development for the Ghanaian youth.
“You can all agree with me that, emerging technologies in ICT such as AI are no longer a futuristic concept but an integral part of our everyday lives and various key sectors of our economy including education, medicine, agriculture, engineering, finance, marketing and manufacturing among others,” he stated.
He commended all the sponsors of the GIICT project especially the title sponsor American Tower Corporation Ghana (ATC) Ghana for their constant support.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for American Tower Corporation Ghana (ATC) Ghana, Ashutosh Singh, assured that “Together with our digital communities’ program, where we build world-class computer-equipped digital learning centres across the country, we aim to positively impact the quality of life, promote digital literacy, community education, career development, amongst others as part of American Towers Global Strategy.”
According to him, ATC is looking forward to welcoming and engaging the girls tomorrow in their offices promising that it will be a day of experiencing new things, learning, and fun.
Ashutosh Singh was optimistic that, mentoring the school girls will greatly enhance their interest and participation in the industry and technology space, helping to bridge both the gender and digital divide.
The girls were selected from the three beneficiary regions (Savannah, Northern, and Eastern) in last year’s GIICT programme.
Other dignitaries who were around included; Alexander Yaw Arphul (Chief Director for MoCD), Alfred Nortey (Director, Finance and Administration for MoCD), Joseph Tetteh (Director for Information Technology at MoCD), Kojo Baah Agyeman (CEO, for Ghana Digital Centres Limited), Eric Asumun (Director-General for Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet), Olivia Quartey (Deputy Director-General for NCA), Letitia Asiedu-Attafuah (Head of HR, ATC), Representatives from CSA, MTN, ATC among others.