Ghana’s academia urged to embrace emerging technologies to stay at the forefront of innovation

The Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ama Pomaa Boateng has called on academic institutions in the country to embrace emerging technologies to enable them to stay at the forefront of innovation and keep pace with the rapidly evolving global landscape.

She believes that Ghana’s journey toward sustainable development cannot be achieved without harnessing the full potential of ICT, hence the need for academia to take the lead in ICT education and research, fostering a culture of lifelong learning and technological adaptation.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Communication and Digitalization to launch the first-ever National ICT Week event, the Deputy Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ama Pomaa Boateng noted that the rapid advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have the potential to revolutionize every aspect of our lives and transform the nation's trajectory towards sustainable development.

ICT she explains, is not merely a tool but an enabler of progress, adding that it is the catalyst that drives inclusive growth, empowers citizens, and paves the way for a prosperous future.

In his address, the Director General of NITA, Richard Okyere-Fosu, expressed his appreciation for the massive support the event has enjoyed within the ICT space in the country and thanked the Board of NITA for their zeal to ensure the success of the launch.

“We genuinely think that harnessing the potential of information and communication technology will help our country move toward sustainable development and creating the necessary awareness on ICT products and its usage is vital for the development of the country,” he said.

 “Our goal is to foster a collaborative environment where ideas, innovations, and knowledge could be shared freely, leading to novel solutions for the challenges we face." He added that this will be the backbone for subsequent events and ingenuity of Ghanaian innovations,” he added.

Organised by the National Information and Technology Agency (NITA), the official launch ceremony which was held on the theme: Empowering Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development brought together stakeholders from the government, private sector, academia, and civil society to foster collaboration, innovation, capacity building and knowledge sharing.