From 1st to 9th December 2025, Ghana hosted a high-level World Bank Mid-Term Review (MTR) Mission for the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project (GDAP)—a decisive moment that brought together Government leadership, the World Bank task team, and project implementation experts to refine Ghana’s digital transformation priorities for the coming years.
Led by Stephen Davenport, GDAP Task Team Leader at the World Bank, alongside co-Task Team Leader Natalija Gelvanovska-Garcia, the mission provided a comprehensive platform for assessing progress, identifying bottlenecks, and modifications the project to align with Ghana’s fast-evolving digital ambitions.
On the government side, the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) was spearheaded by its Coordinator, Mr. Edwin Amoako, supported by the Ministry of Finance Team led by David Klottey Collison and Margaret- Ann Wilson who played a pivotal role in aligning financial and restructuring perspectives with national priorities.
A crucial highlight of the mission was the engagement with the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Hon. Sam George, who met with the team to articulate government’s forward-looking priorities and ensure strategic alignment between GDAP and the national digital agenda.
A Mission Grounded in Strategic Review and Forward Planning
The nine-day mission followed a rigorous agenda that examined the GDAP implementation framework across all three components, safeguarding measures, procurement, fiduciary performance, and results.
Key Objectives of the Mid-Term Review:
- Assess progress against the project’s Results Framework and disbursement plan
- Identify implementation bottlenecks and propose actionable solutions
- Align the project with Ghana’s national digital transformation priorities
- Strengthen procurement, financial management, and safeguards compliance
The mission opened with internal World Bank consultations, followed by an intensive review of project performance and a strategic discussion on modification options. The engagements reinforced the shared goal of ensuring that GDAP remains agile, relevant, and positioned to deliver tangible benefits to citizens, businesses, and government institutions.
Component-by-Component Insights
- Inclusive and Safe Digital Transformation
(Reviewed on Day 1)
Discussions focused on progress made in digital inclusion, digital literacy, and cyber resilience. The parties revisited targets and procurement priorities, especially in areas relating to digital skills development, data protection, and safe digital ecosystems. - Modernizing Digital Government Services
(Days 2–3)
This component—the heart of Ghana’s e-government reforms—received extensive attention. The mission reviewed the rollout of digital platforms, public sector interoperability tools, and citizen-facing digital services. Emphasis was placed on accelerating high-impact platforms, improving service efficiency, and targeting resources toward government systems that deliver measurable public value. - Digital Transformation of Strategic Sectors
(Day 3–4)
The review underscored the importance of digitalising sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and justice. These sectoral initiatives were recognised as catalytic vehicles for economic inclusion and productivity growth. Revised targets and procurement plans were considered to ensure efficient implementation through 2026 and beyond.
Safeguards, Fiduciary, and Procurement Strengthening
On December 4th, the mission held a dedicated session on Environmental and Social Safeguards, emphasising compliance, mitigation planning, and stronger stakeholder engagement approaches.
The spillover session on December 9th addressed:
- Financial Management & Disbursement: evaluation of fiduciary performance, audited financial statements, and reforms to improve financial flow and compliance.
- Procurement: review of procurement performance and optimization of the procurement plan for faster delivery of key activities.
These sessions were crucial to ensuring accountability, transparency, and efficiency in the project’s delivery mechanisms.
High-Level Engagement with the Minister
A key moment in the mission was the meeting with Hon. Sam George, Minister for Communications, Digital Technology & Innovation. His engagement provided clarity on government priorities, reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to:
- Becoming competitive in the AI-driven global economy
- Expanding digital jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities
- Strengthening the data and cybersecurity ecosystem
- Enhancing digital public infrastructure
- Accelerating the rollout of citizen-centric digital services
His direction ensured that the modification efforts would sharpen the project’s focus on interventions that directly support national development outcomes and job creation for the youth.
Looking Ahead: A Renewed Vision for Ghana’s Digital Future
The World Bank Mid-Term Review mission concluded with a shared sense of purpose and renewed clarity. The roadmap developed over the nine days is expected to amplify Ghana’s competitiveness in the digital and AI-driven global landscape, broaden digital job opportunities, enhance citizen services, and reinforce national digital governance structures.
With the World Bank Task Team’s continued support and the strong leadership of MoCDTI, the Ministry of Finance, and the PCU, GDAP is poised to move into its next phase with focus, flexibility, and transformational ambition.
Ghana’s digital future is bright, and the work done from 1st to 9th December 2025 lays a solid foundation for the breakthroughs ahead.
