It’s a Thursday morning in a modest public school in Ho. A group of JHS students huddle excitedly around a single laptop.
They’re not playing games—they’re writing simple code that makes a cat dance on the screen using Scratch, a visual programming tool for beginners. The giggles are loud, but what’s louder is the future echoing through that tiny classroom.
That’s the power of teaching coding in schools—it’s not just about creating software engineers. It’s about preparing young people to understand, shape, and thrive in the digital-first economy that’s already here. In this article, we explore what coding in schools really means for Ghana’s development, why it matters more now than ever, and how we can get it right.
Why coding? Why now?
Coding is often called the “literacy of the future.” But let’s break it down. Just like learning to read helps us understand the world, learning to code helps us create within it. We live in a world run by technology.
From the apps we use to order food, to the systems managing banks, elections, and even our health records, software is silently running everything. The people who can understand and build that software aren’t just workers—they’re architects of the future. So, when we teach kids to code, we’re doing more than filling their heads with syntax. We’re teaching them to think logically, solve problems, and create solutions for themselves and their communities.
Ghana’s growing interest in coding
To be fair, Ghana is already waking up to this reality. In 2019, the Ministry of Education piloted the Coding for Kids programme, introducing basic programming skills in selected public schools. Fast-forward to 2024, and over 250 basic schools in Greater Accra and Ashanti regions have integrated coding into their ICT curriculum—with plans for national expansion.
Some of the key Ghanaian Edtech initiatives in this space include:
- Ghana Code Club – Founded by Ernestina Appiah, this nonprofit has introduced over 20,000 children to coding using fun, hands-on methods like Scratch and Python.
- Soronko Academy – Africa’s first coding and human-centered design school for girls, founded by Regina Honu. Soronko has trained thousands of girls from underserved communities to code and dream big.
- Young at Heart Ghana – Through their Learning Lions program, they use storytelling and gamified tech education to teach kids digital skills, including programming basics.
These initiatives aren’t just teaching code—they’re changing lives.
The African context – A big opportunity, a bigger responsibility
Across the continent, we’re seeing bold moves. Rwanda made coding mandatory in schools in 2019. South Africa launched a full coding curriculum for Grades R–9 in 2023. Kenya and Nigeria have invested heavily in teacher training for digital skills education. A World Economic Forum report (2023) estimates that Africa’s digital economy could be worth US$712 billion by 2050—but only if we build a digitally skilled workforce. In Ghana, the Ghana Statistical Service and UNICEF report that less than 30percent of basic school teachers feel confident integrating digital tools into their lessons. That’s a gap we must urgently bridge.
The real role of coding in nation building
Let’s bring this home.
Coding is not just for building apps. It’s for building mindsets—the kind we need to shape a Ghana we’re all proud of:
- Capable youth who can use technology to solve problems in their communities.
- Competent workers who can take up jobs in Ghana’s tech ecosystem—or create their own.
- Audacious thinkers who don’t just consume tech but create it.
- Empathetic innovators who build with their society in mind.
- Patriotic citizens who understand that the future of Ghana will be built not by aid, but by ideas.
Imagine young people creating solutions for waste management using IoT, farmers using AI-powered apps designed by local coders, or students building platforms to support learning in their native languages. That’s the Ghana we must code into existence.
But… Are we ready?
There are challenges, of course.
- Infrastructure: Many rural schools lack computers or steady electricity, let alone Wi-Fi.
- Teacher Training: Coding is intimidating for many teachers. Without proper training, the rollout will stall.
- Curriculum Rigidity: Our current education system still leans heavily on rote memorization, not creative problem-solving.
Yet, none of these challenges are insurmountable. With strategic investments, smart partnerships, and political will, Ghana can become a model for inclusive, tech-driven education in Africa.
So, what can be done?
- National coding curriculum – Ghana must formally embed coding from basic school level and build a progressive, culturally relevant curriculum.
- Invest in teacher training – Equip our educators with not just devices, but confidence. A digitally literate teacher is a nation-builder.
- Support local Edtech startups – Homegrown platforms understand the Ghanaian context best. Let’s fund and scale them.
- Make coding fun and relatable – Use storytelling, gamification, and projects that connect with students’ realities—like coding an app to report faulty boreholes or keep track of market prices.
- Prioritize girls and underserved communities – Equity must be at the center. Digital skills must not become another tool that widens social gaps.
Final thoughts – More than a skill, a superpower
We often talk about the need to diversify Ghana’s economy beyond gold and cocoa. But the most valuable resource we have isn’t in our soil. It’s in our students’ minds. If we can teach them to code—to think, build, fail, try again, and create—we are not just teaching them a job skill. We’re giving them a superpower.
A power to imagine. To solve. To build. And most importantly, to dream and deliver a better, bolder Ghana. Let’s code that into our national story—one keystroke at a time.
>>>Next in the Series: ‘Collaborating Across Borders – How Pan-African Edtech Partnerships Can Drive Scalable Impact
Sources:
- World Economic Forum Africa Digital Economy Report (2023)
- Ghana Statistical Service & UNICEF Ghana Digital Skills Report (2024)
- Coding for Kids Pilot Programme Report – Ministry of Education, Ghana
- Soronko Academy Impact Report (2023)
- Ghana Code Club Data (2023)
>>>the writer is an Edtech enthusiast, writer, and President of the Ghana Edtech Alliance. He is passionate about using storytelling to spotlight the power of education technology in transforming lives across Africa. He can be reached via [email protected]
