As Ghana races to train hundreds of thousands of young people in software development and digital skills, a proposed technology regulation bill is triggering concerns that the same government promoting coding as a path to employment could soon require state certification before graduates are legally allowed to work.
The proposed legislation by Ghana’s National Information Technology Agency (NITA) has ignited backlash across the country’s technology sector, with startup founders, developers and policy analysts warning that the framework risks creating a government controlled gatekeeping system in one of West Africa’s fastest growing industries.
At the center of the dispute is Section 46 of the draft NITA Bill 2025, which states that no person can be appointed as an ICT professional in either the public or private sector unless certified by NITA.
The controversy comes as President John Dramani Mahama pushes forward with the One Million Coders Programme, the largest state backed digital workforce initiative. The program recorded more than 90,000 applications within 48 hours of opening registration, while Phase Two has attracted almost 120,000 additional signups as government targets 300,000 trained Ghanaians by the end of 2026.
A Contradiction at the Center of Policy
Critics say the bill creates a contradiction at the heart of Ghana’s digital economy strategy.
One branch of government is spending public funds to train coders and software developers across all 16 regions. Another is proposing legislation that would require those same graduates to obtain government certification before employers can legally hire them.
“The issue is not whether government possesses the legal authority to act,” technology policy critics have argued in recent days. “The issue is whether the proposed implementation advances the long term interests of the ecosystem.”
The proposed framework extends beyond individual certification. Section 35 of the bill would require any person or company seeking to operate an ICT business, provide ICT services or install ICT infrastructure to first obtain a license from NITA. Violations could attract fines and prison terms ranging from six months to two years.
Industry groups say the language is broad enough to cover freelancers, app developers, startup founders, SaaS operators and cloud service providers.
Legal Questions and Regulatory Powers
The bill also gives NITA authority to determine certification standards and licensing procedures, with critics arguing the framework lacks clear safeguards, appeal mechanisms or mandatory industry consultation requirements.
Policy think tank IMANI Africa has challenged the legal basis of parts of the framework, pointing to Section 38(1) of Ghana’s Electronic Transactions Act, 2008, which states that NITA cannot issue licenses to individuals.
The think tank argues that fee schedules introduced under the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act cannot override a specific statutory restriction contained in an earlier law.
NITA has defended its position, saying its regulatory authority predates the proposed legislation and is already grounded in existing laws including the National Information Technology Agency Act, 2008, the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 and subsequent fees and charges regulations.
Startup Fees Become Flashpoint
The agency has also defended existing accreditation fees, which have become another focal point of the controversy.
According to fee schedules currently referenced by NITA, cybersecurity startups face application fees of 30,000 cedis ($2,800) and annual renewal charges of 20,000 cedis. Fintech companies face registration costs of 20,000 cedis, while business software providers pay 12,000 cedis upfront and 8,000 cedis annually.
While NITA maintains those charges are legally established under Legislative Instruments L.I. 2481 and L.I. 2512, critics argue the fees are disproportionate for startups operating in a market where access to capital remains limited.
A Sector That Expanded Without Certification
The debate has intensified because Ghana’s technology sector has emerged as one of the country’s fastest expanding industries without mandatory state certification requirements.
Ghana’s ICT sector contribution to GDP grew from GH¢4.4 billion in 2016 to GH¢21 billion in 2022, according to Ghana Statistical Service-based reporting. Ghanaian startups raised about $127 million in 2024, while fintech activity expanded rapidly as digital payments adoption accelerated across the country.
The sector has also become increasingly important for employment generation at a time of elevated youth unemployment. Ghana’s youth unemployment rate reached 21.7% in 2023, while surveys by Afrobarometer found more than one third of young people were unemployed and actively seeking work.
What Is at Stake
For the Mahama administration, the One Million Coders Programme is intended to position digital skills as a pathway into employment and entrepreneurship. But critics warn that if certification becomes mandatory under the proposed law, graduates could find themselves entering a labor market where access to work depends on approval from the same regulator controlling licensing standards and accreditation requirements.
Technology commentators have also warned that restrictions limiting licenses to wholly Ghanaian owned companies could discourage foreign investment and complicate Ghana’s ambitions of becoming a regional technology hub competing with markets such as Nigeria and Kenya.
The bill remains under stakeholder consultation, with NITA planning public engagement sessions as pressure mounts from developers, startups and digital rights advocates for significant revisions before any legislation is presented to Parliament.
For thousands of young Ghanaians currently enrolled in coding programs, the outcome of that process may determine whether digital skills training leads directly to jobs or to another layer of regulatory approval before employment becomes possible.
