A group picture of the dignitaries at the event
Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has said over 5,000 jobs have been created in the digital sector.
Speaking at the launch of the Tertiary Digital Innovation Program which coincided with the 5th anniversary of the Ghana Digital Centres Limited, the sector minister said, “The Accra digital centre has boosted job creation with a little of 5,000 direct and indirect jobs created so far.”
She further noted that about 15,000 young people have acquired various forms of digital skills training since the centre became operational in 2017.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said this was made possible with funding support from the World Bank for the activities of the technology hub.
She said the Accra Digital Centre was created as part of the government’s effort to bridge the unemployment gap in the country.
It has also driven the knowledge-led socio-economic growth as well as information communication technology skills for self-sufficiency, she stated.
She, however, noted that the innovation hub is also currently been supported by the World Bank and has helped over 30 new start-up companies.
“We are hoping to scale it up with the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project with $20million support from the World Bank for startups working with the Venture Capital Funds, Ghana Employment Agency, and other institutions in the sector,” she added.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Digital Centres Limited, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, said according to the Institute of Statistics, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) only 10 per cent of graduates find jobs after completing school.
“Additionally about 90% of final year project works by tertiary students are left to gather dust on library bookshops due to the inability of tertiary institutions to fully commercialize research” he stated.
Mr. Agyemang said to address this challenge, the Ghana Digital Training System has partnered with other institutions including the German International Cooperation (GIZ) to implement the Tertiary Digital Innovative Program (TDIP).
“The TDIP has been designed to foster digital innovation and entrepreneurship by providing support for tertiary students and recent graduates to build technology-driven project and research works into innovative start-ups and solutions that address national developmental challenges” he stated.
However, he said that to ensure inclusivity the program will cover 30 percent of female participation to advance the girls’ ICT agenda.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri & Hudda Bala Abdul Manan