Ghana’s Cabinet has approved a $250 million investment to establish a national artificial intelligence (AI) compute centre, marking a significant advancement in the country’s efforts to lead responsible AI development across Africa. Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, announced the initiative on March 31, 2026, during the National Stakeholder Engagement on Ghana’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (AI-RAM) Report at the Best Western Premier Hotel in Accra.
The event, co-organized with UNESCO and funded by the European Union, attracted representatives from various government ministries, including health, education, justice, and agriculture, as well as researchers, technology startups, private sector companies, and civil society organizations. The compute centre is expected to facilitate AI research, development, and deployment across crucial sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and financial services, aligning with President John Dramani Mahama’s broader vision of advancing Ghana’s digital economy.
During his address, George highlighted that the establishment of the compute centre builds on existing infrastructure, with mobile penetration in Ghana exceeding 110 percent and over 38 million mobile subscriptions currently in use. However, he also stressed the need to address significant gaps in data governance, digital skills development, and research capacity to maximize the potential of AI technologies in Ghana.
“AI must advance inclusion instead of advancing inequality,” George cautioned, emphasizing that the compute centre aims to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign technology infrastructure. The initiative will empower local researchers, developers, and startups with the necessary tools to create solutions domestically. He underscored that infrastructure alone is inadequate without a framework of ethical values guiding the deployment of AI technologies.
Linking Ghana’s AI ambitions to broader continental initiatives, George connected the compute centre to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), headquartered in Accra. He positioned AI as a pivotal factor in driving digital trade and inclusive growth across the region, setting an ambitious target for the country’s technology sector: scaling solutions from impacting 20,000 people locally to reaching 20 million across the continent.
The $250 million compute centre has already garnered international interest, with Ghana securing a partnership with Chinese technology giant Huawei Technologies, which expressed specific interest in the project as well as the nation’s efforts in rural telephony expansion and 5G rollout.
In addition to the compute centre, George confirmed that Ghana’s National AI Strategy has also received Cabinet approval and will be formally launched by President Mahama on April 24, 2026. He urged academia, industry, startups, and development partners to provide concrete ideas to shape the country’s AI implementation plans, stressing that transformation cannot be achieved solely by government efforts. “The decisions we make today will shape Ghana’s technological future for decades,” he remarked.
This strategic investment in AI infrastructure not only aims to bolster Ghana’s technological capabilities but also seeks to position the country as a leader in the evolving digital landscape of Africa. The initiative reflects a growing recognition of the importance of AI in driving economic growth and enhancing service delivery across various sectors, thereby fostering a more inclusive and innovative future for the nation.
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