The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP), has reiterated that Ghana is experiencing a deliberate digital reset under the leadership of H. E. John Dramani Mahama, stressing that the transformation goes beyond incremental changes.
He explained that the country’s digital agenda is focused on deep structural transformation rather than superficial reforms. “We are moving from digital consumption to digital production, from participation to leadership, from dependency to sovereignty”, he noted.
Speaking about the role of his Ministry, the Minister stated that the mandate of the sector is clear: digital transformation must translate into real economic power.
According to him, the goal is not just improved connectivity or digital platforms, but tangible outcomes such as job creation, enterprise growth, expanded exports and youth empowerment.
Hon. Samuel Nartey George made these remarks at the FEMITECH Conference 2026, organised by the Ghana–India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE) under the theme “Give to Gain.”
“When we say, “Give to Gain,” we are saying something profound about women in technology. When women are given access to capital, they build resilient enterprises.
When women are given digital tools, they unlock productivity across families and communities. When women are given platforms to innovate, entire economies gain stability and growth”, he said.
According to the Minister, the focus is not merely on symbolic inclusion but on strengthening competitiveness.
Through GI-KACE, he explained that efforts are underway to strengthen SME digitisation frameworks, build incubation and acceleration pathways, integrate artificial intelligence into enterprise processes, and enhance export readiness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while connecting innovation to markets.
He further noted that national development requires collaboration across sectors.
Government provides infrastructure and policy direction, entrepreneurs contribute creativity and discipline, development partners offer capital and global connections, while industry delivers scale and supply chains — all working together for Ghana’s transformation.
The Minister cautioned that the global economy is evolving rapidly, with artificial intelligence redefining productivity, automation reshaping manufacturing, data governance determining sovereignty and cybersecurity defining trust.
“Under the administration of His Excellency, President Mahama, we are building digital public infrastructure that supports innovation. We are strengthening data governance frameworks that protect national interests. We are strengthening AI capacity development to ensure that Ghanaian talent both uses and builds intelligent systems. Here at FEMITECH, we are ensuring that women are not at the margins of this transformation. They are at the centre of it”, he stressed.
He added that empowering women in technology strengthens Ghana’s economic resilience, expands exports and enhances national competitiveness.
Hon. Nartey George also noted that the theme “Give to Gain” reflects the need for coordination across sectors. He explained that agriculture must connect with technology, technology with trade, trade with finance and finance with youth enterprise, stressing, that fragmentation weakens progress while coordination strengthens it.
“To every young woman in tech here today, you are not just participating in a conference, you are shaping Ghana’s digital industrial architecture. Your code, your platforms, your solutions, your enterprises, they are national assets”, he urged participants.
The Minister, speaking on the sidelines of the FEMITECH Conference today, clarified the need for the ongoing SIM card registration exercise, stressing that it is necessary to protect the digital identity of citizens.
He explained that the government has engaged relevant stakeholders and that the current exercise should not be described as a re-registration but rather a proper registration process aimed at correcting flaws in the previous system carried out between 2021 and 2023.
The Minister noted that he opposed the earlier exercise because it lacked biometric verification.
According to him, the failure to link biometric data from the National Identification Authority (NIA) database with the telecommunications regulator’s database led to unreliable and unauthenticated data.
He said the government took time to review the challenges of the previous process before introducing a new system that will allow people with smartphones to complete their SIM registration from the comfort of their homes through biometric linkage to the NIA database. Alternative arrangements will also be available for those without smartphones.
The Minister emphasized that the exercise will be conducted in a humane and efficient manner to avoid the difficulties people experienced during the previous registration process.
He added that securing SIM card registration is critical because phone numbers are increasingly linked to financial and digital services, making it important to protect the digital identities of citizens
The Director-General of GI-KACE , Ing. Dr. Collins Yeboah-Afari, emphasized the need for greater inclusion of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to drive innovation and sustainable development.
Speaking at a technology and innovation forum, the Director-General noted that the initiative has, over the past four years, evolved into a platform that promotes collaboration, policy dialogue, and capacity development among academia, industry, and government.
Dr. Yeboah-Afari, highlighted that women currently represent about 29 percent of the global STEM workforce and only 22 percent in fields such as engineering and emerging technologies, stressing that closing this gap is essential for strengthening innovation, expanding opportunities, and advancing key development goals including quality education, gender equality, and decent work.
The Deputy Director-General of Managerial Operations at the National Communications Authority (NCA), Mrs. Etta Mosore, emphasised the importance of regulatory compliance in fostering trust and protecting users within Ghana’s growing digital ecosystem. She explained that while technological innovations such as drones and emerging digital platforms often evolve faster than regulatory frameworks, institutions such as the Data Protection Commission, the Cyber Security Authority, and the NCA work collaboratively to ensure that digital services operate within clear safeguards that protect users’ data and rights.
Mrs. Mosore noted that developers, startups, and technology innovators who collect or process user data must comply with data protection requirements and obtain the appropriate licences to ensure accountability and trust. She added that the NCA was also promoting innovation through regulatory sandbox initiatives that allow startups to test emerging technologies in a controlled environment while safeguarding consumers.
The Deputy Director-General further encouraged greater collaboration and participation among women in the technology sector, stressing that compliance frameworks are designed not to stifle innovation but to create a secure and trusted environment for digital growth.
