The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has inaugurated the governing boards of Ghana Digital Centre Limited (GDCL) and the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE).
Speaking at the inauguration, the minister said GDCL, which was incorporated in 2017, was established to position Ghana as a regional digital hub as well as provide world-class infrastructure and the enabling environment needed to attract and retain ICT and IT-enabled Business Process Outsourcing companies to promote Entrepreneurship and Digital Job Creation for accelerated growth.
“GDCL over the last five years has performed creditably. From its flagship office – the Accra Digital Centre, the company has helped train over fifteen thousand (15,000) youth in various skills development courses, nurtured over two hundred (200) businesses and created over five thousand (5000) jobs.
“The company has also achieved 100 percent occupancy in providing office spaces in its affordable real estate, and can boast of brand associations with institutions like World Vision International, MTN Ayo Micro Insurance, VFS Premium Passport Application Centre, Docupro Limited, the government of Ghana’s Info 311 service, Innovaré Limited, etc.” she said.
Replicating Accra Digital Centre nationwide
According to the minister, as part of efforts to bridge the country’s yawning digital divide, government through the Ghana Cares ‘Obaatanpa’ Programme intends to replicate the Accra Digital Centre model in other regions by developing infrastructure to address the challenge of increasing demand for real estate facilities by S&M digital firms.
She therefore urged the 11-member governing board to oversee a successful operationalisation of Regional Innovation Centres (RICs) across the country, to promote digital innovation and give GDCL a nationwide reach in the process.
“You are assuming duty at a time when Ghana Digital Centre Limited is still facing some challenges heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts aimed at addressing key issues such as infrastructure expansion and sustainable funding for projects & programmes are very pertinent,” she told the board members.
Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE)
Addressing the 9-member governing board of the AITI-KACE, Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said as Ghana’s first advanced information technology institute, the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT has built capacity for over 40,000 students in Ghana and other parts of the continent since its inception.
“These high-end skilled personnel churned out are contributing their quota to their respective nations and in various fields of the public and private sectors. This is attributable to the quality demonstrated in the Centre’s rigorous hands-on curriculum, an experienced faculty, and the high value Ghana’s industry places on the Centre’s products,” she stated.
She therefore urged the Board to marshal all efforts to pay particular attention to helping management improve the Centre’s revenue generation capabilities, saying: “With the depth of knowledge and expertise on this Board, I am fully convinced that you will work together as a strong team to steer the Centre to effectively deliver on its mandate”.
