Ghana has the potential to become a major player in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the healthcare sector, with vast opportunities to attract global investment.
In an exclusive interview with The High Street Journal, Founder and CEO of MinoHealth AI Labs, Darlington Akogo, showed how Ghana can harness AI to transform healthcare and other industries while boosting its economic prospects.
Scaling Up AI in Healthcare
MinoHealth AI Labs, a pioneering AI health company based in Accra, specializes in radiology and microscopy, using deep learning to enhance disease diagnoses. Since its establishment in 2016, the company has been at the forefront of AI-driven medical solutions, covering conditions such as diabetes and breast cancer.
Akogo noted that Ghana has already made strides in AI healthcare applications, citing the drone delivery system used for medical supplies. However, he believes the country must take further steps to integrate AI across hospitals and clinics to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient care.
AI Talent Development: A Gateway to Investment
Beyond healthcare, Akogo stressed the importance of investing in AI talent. He pointed out that AI engineers in the U.S. earn salaries as high as $1 million annually. If Ghana produces skilled AI professionals at a fraction of that cost, the country could position itself as an outsourcing hub for AI development, attracting international tech companies and investors.
“Imagine we trained solid, comparable talent in Ghana, and the cost is only 20%, 10%, or 30% of what it is in the U.S. AI companies would start outsourcing their AI needs to Ghana,” Akogo explained. “This alone could help address Ghana’s economic crisis because billions of dollars are flowing into AI investments.”
Global AI Investments and Ghana’s Opportunity
Citing global AI investment trends, Akogo referenced the U.S. Stargate Initiative, a $500 billion private-sector project involving tech giants such as OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. With such massive investments shaping the global AI landscape, he believes Ghana must create a competitive AI ecosystem to tap into these opportunities.
“If we invest in AI companies and infrastructure, we will see high returns,” he noted. “At a Paris AI Summit hosted by the French government, France’s AI strategy was clear—everyone was encouraged to adopt Mistral AI, their national AI lab. Ghana needs to take a similar approach and promote local AI solutions to gain a strong footing in the industry.”
The Path Forward
To fully capitalize on AI, Akogo urged the government and private sector to make strategic investments in AI research, infrastructure, and policy frameworks. He stressed that fostering an AI-driven economy would not only generate jobs but also attract foreign direct investment.
“The return on investment in AI is incredibly high. We are talking about billions upon billions of dollars that can come to Ghana just by making the right bet on AI systems,” Akogo concluded.
With AI rapidly reshaping global industries, Ghana has a unique opportunity to position itself as a leader in AI development and application. By scaling up AI in healthcare, nurturing local AI talent, and creating a business-friendly environment for AI startups, the country can harness this technological revolution for economic transformation.
