Minister Sam George Announces 140,000 Enrollments in One Million Coders Programme Amid Eastern Region Infrastructure Tour

Ghana’s ambitious One Million Coders Programme (OMCP) has reached a significant milestone, with approximately 140,000 individuals already enrolled in the digital skills initiative. The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, announced these figures during a comprehensive monitoring exercise of digital infrastructure projects across the Eastern Region. The program serves as a cornerstone of the government's strategy to equip the national workforce with essential technological competencies required for the modern global economy.

During his tour, Minister George visited key facilities, including the Koforidua Regional Innovation Centre and several rural telephony project sites. He emphasized that the initiative is designed to be accessible to all Ghanaians, with the registration process integrated with the Ghana Card to ensure streamlined and verified enrollment. By focusing on coding and advanced digital literacy, the government aims to foster a new generation of tech-savvy citizens capable of driving innovation within both domestic and international markets.

However, the inspection also underscored significant challenges regarding connectivity in underserved areas. Minister George highlighted that while infrastructure exists, many rural communities still struggle with unreliable network coverage and outdated technology. To address this, the Minister advocated for a systematic upgrade of telephony sites, shifting from legacy 2G and 3G networks to at least 4G standards. These upgrades are deemed essential to support the bandwidth-heavy applications and platforms used by the participants of the coding programme.

Looking ahead, the government has set a target to make rural communication services significantly more affordable and accessible by early 2027. This effort to bridge the digital divide is intended to ensure that the benefits of the digital economy are not confined to urban centers. By combining high-level skills training with robust infrastructure development and cost-reduction strategies, the administration seeks to create an inclusive environment where digital opportunity is available to every Ghanaian, regardless of their geographical location.