A proposed technology licensing framework by Ghana’s National Information Technology Agency (NITA) is facing growing resistance from software developers, startup founders and digital policy analysts who warn the measures could undermine investment and slow the expansion of one of the country’s fastest-growing sectors.
The backlash has intensified ahead of a planned public discussion by NITA on X, where the agency is expected to defend provisions in a proposed bill that critics say would expand state control over the digital economy and impose costly compliance requirements on technology businesses and professionals.
The draft framework has drawn scrutiny over provisions that would require licenses for a broad range of ICT activities, including software development, cloud services, digital platforms and SaaS operations.
NITA has rejected claims that the proposed framework represents a new assertion of authority, arguing that its mandate is already grounded in existing legislation including the National Information Technology Agency Act, 2008, the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 and the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022.
“NITA’s authority did not begin with the proposed Bill,” the agency said in a statement.
The agency pointed to accreditation fees already contained in existing regulations, including charges of 20,000 cedis ($1,900) for fintech firms and 10,000 cedis for e-commerce service providers, arguing that the fees are not newly created under the pending legislation.
Still, critics across Ghana’s technology ecosystem say the proposed regulatory approach risks discouraging entrepreneurship and foreign investment at a time when the country is seeking to position itself as a regional digital hub.
MacJordan Degadjor, a technology blogger and digital policy commentator, warned that Sections 35 to 37 of the draft bill could effectively require licenses for “virtually every ICT activity,” from software engineering to cloud computing services.
He also criticized provisions limiting licenses to companies “wholly owned by a citizen,” saying such restrictions could discourage international partnerships and venture capital participation in Ghanaian startups.
“This directly threatens the foreign capital, partnerships, and expertise that fuel Ghanaian success stories,” Degadjor said, referencing firms including Hubtel and mPharma.
“Innovation does not thrive when a young founder’s first step is to fill out license forms and restructure ownership rather than build products,” he said.
Another commentator on X, data scientist Alfred, argued that Ghana risks reversing years of digital sector growth with policies that prioritize regulation over expansion.
“Since 2019, Ghana’s tech sector has been the fastest growing sub-sector in national output,” he wrote. “Policy and legislation must consolidate those gains, not stifle them.”
Alfred criticized proposals that would restrict licensing to wholly Ghanaian-owned companies, require technology professionals to obtain NITA certification before working in either the public or private sector, and impose levies based on gross revenue rather than profit.
“If we want to make Ghana a tech hub in the region, legislation that shuts out investment and innovation and centralises power in a state institution will make that dream continue to be just a dream,” he said.
The online debate has also drawn attention to NITA’s own digital infrastructure after users circulated screenshots showing placeholder “Lorem Ipsum” (Lorem Ipsum is the most famous placeholder text (also called “dummy text”) used in graphic design, publishing, web development, and typesetting.)
text on parts of the agency’s website, prompting criticism over the regulator’s technical credibility.
Ghana’s Communications Minister, Samuel Nartey George, has defended the agency, saying the government is merely enforcing laws that have existed for years rather than introducing entirely new powers.
“The Ministry is simply enforcing existing legislation that has been on our books since 2008, 2023 and 2025,” George said on X. “The proposed new legislation has NOT even been laid before Parliament.”
George dismissed some criticism as misinformation and challenged opponents to identify actions by NITA that are not backed by existing statutes.
The dispute underscores a broader challenge facing African governments as they attempt to tighten oversight of rapidly expanding digital industries without discouraging investment and innovation.
For Ghana, the debate is particularly significant because technology and fintech have become increasingly important drivers of economic diversification, startup funding and youth employment.
The outcome of the consultation process could shape perceptions among investors about whether Ghana’s regulatory environment will support the cross-border growth ambitions of local startups or impose restrictions that make scaling more difficult in an increasingly competitive African digital economy.
