The Hon. Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, recently hosted the Minister of Communication, Science and Technology for Lesotho, Hon. Nthati Moorosi, for a productive meeting aimed at strengthening digital collaboration and fostering innovation across the African continent.
The discussions underscored a shared commitment to addressing the continent’s digital challenges and harnessing technological advancements for socio-economic development. Both ministers highlighted the critical need for African nations to unite their efforts in the digital space to achieve meaningful progress and avoid fragmentation.
Key initiatives and strategies for collaboration were extensively discussed during the meeting. The Honorable minister revealed that, Ghana is preparing to host the Global Entrepreneurship Festival in November, a three-day event designed to connect 100,000 ICT innovators with venture capitalists and investors worldwide.
Looking ahead to next year, the minister said, Ghana in partnership with Google, will host a major platform dubbed the “Divas of ICT” in Accra, bringing together global tech giants like Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft, along with African ministers, to ensure a focused approach to ICT implementation beyond general statements.
Hon. George also revealed plans to share 15 new pieces of legislation covering areas from AI and emerging technologies to data protection, cybersecurity, and the digital economy, allowing other African nations like Lesotho to adapt these frameworks to their local contexts.
The ministers also explored collaboration on developing large language models for agri-tech, aiming to overcome language barriers for farmers, with Ghana offering to connect its academia with Lesotho’s experts for knowledge exchange and tools.
The dialogue also touched on the challenges faced by African ministries, including the struggle to gain full value from content monetization and the limitations of traditional diplomatic channels when engaging with major tech companies. A crucial takeaway from the Hon. Minister was the power of direct engagement with influential individuals within these global platforms to expedite progress, citing successful interactions with senior vice presidents at Google and Meta.
The Hon. Minister stated that, to foster greater synergy a small virtual working group comprising ministers from about ten African countries, including Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Guinea, Kenya, and Gambia, with the potential for South Africa to join later. This group aims to collectively define a roadmap, build synergies, and could leverage Smart Africa as a secretariat for facilitation.
Additionally, the Minister from Lesotho will undertake working visits to key Ghanaian institutions, including the National Communications Authority (NCA), the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC – soon to be rebranded as the Digital Economy and Innovation Development Fund), and the Cyber Security Authority.
