As Ghana gears up to launch its highly anticipated One Million Coders Programme on April 16, 2025, the Internet Society (ISOC) Ghana Chapter is calling for strategic interventions to ensure the initiative delivers measurable impact and long-term value.
In an exclusive interview with The High Street Journal, ISOC Ghana President Maud Ashong Elliot described the programme as a “critical step” in building a digitally skilled workforce, but warned that without careful design and execution, its potential could be undercut.
She pledged ISOC Ghana’s technical support but emphasized that inclusivity, sustainability, and alignment with market needs must drive the programme’s implementation.
Among her key recommendations, Madam Maud stressed the importance of aligning the curriculum with global standards and evolving industry trends. She urged the government to address persistent internet connectivity gaps, particularly in rural regions, by developing robust offline learning options to ensure broad accessibility.
She also called for strategic partnerships with global technology companies to deliver mentorship, exposure, and real-world learning experiences to participants. “It is important to collaborate with tech giants to offer mentorship programmes. Sometimes, the exposure alone can propel young people to success,” she noted.
Ashong further emphasized the need for a clear post-training strategy. “What next for the coders? Will they be absorbed into jobs, entrepreneurial ventures, or startup pipelines?”
Madam Maud advocated for embedding coding and digital skills training into secondary school curricula, leveraging existing ICT infrastructure to scale the programme nationally. She also called for the initiative to be anchored in policy frameworks to ensure continuity across political cycles. Expanding inclusion, particularly for women, rural youth, and persons with disabilities must also be a priority, she added.
On tracking performance, she proposed that ISOC Ghana support rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the programme’s impact. “Technology evolves rapidly. To stay relevant, course offerings must continuously adapt to market demands,” she said.
The One Million Coders Programme is a flagship initiative under the Ministry of Communication, Digitalisation and Innovation. Minister Sam Nartey George, announcing the launch at a media briefing, described it as a cornerstone of Ghana’s digital economy strategy and a key commitment to creating sustainable youth employment.
The pilot phase will roll out in four regional centres, Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, and Sunyani, targeting a 50:50 gender balance. Training areas include coding, software engineering, AI, data science, web and app development, and cybersecurity. The programme also promises to promote entrepreneurship through mentorships, internships, and startup support structures.
Beyond training, the government plans to establish Regional Digital Centres modelled after the Accra Digital Centre, aiming to accelerate Ghana’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) sectors. These centres are expected to drive job creation and position Ghana as a competitive hub within Africa’s fast-growing digital economy.
Inspired by successful models in the UAE and Rwanda, Ghana’s programme has been customized to local realities. The pilot phase will test curriculum delivery, operational readiness, and monitoring frameworks, with insights guiding a broader national rollout later in the year.
However, critical challenges persist – rural infrastructure gaps, internet access limitations, the availability of skilled trainers, and funding sustainability pose risks.
