Ghana’s Secretary-General of the Ghana Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Prof. Osman Tahidu Damba, has called on countries to make ethical considerations central to artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, warning that deployment without cultural and institutional safeguards risks serious long-term consequences.
Prof. Damba made the remarks at a stakeholder forum held at the Best Western Premier Hotel in Accra as part of the Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Methodology (AI-RAM) programme, an international framework that evaluates how prepared countries are to deploy AI responsibly.
He argued that AI’s accelerating transformation of global systems demands that developing nations act with urgency, not just ambition. According to Prof. Damba, Ghana sees AI as a genuine opportunity to close persistent gaps in governance and service delivery, but only if the right frameworks are in place first.
The UNESCO official commended the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations for its efforts to extend digital infrastructure into rural areas, describing improved access to information as foundational to Ghana’s AI readiness strategy. He reaffirmed the Ghana Commission for UNESCO’s commitment to supporting initiatives that will entrench the country’s position in the global AI ecosystem.
The Accra forum brought together policymakers, technical experts, and development partners in what organisers described as a significant step in Ghana’s journey toward responsible AI governance.
The AI-RAM process is designed to examine the foundational elements required for a healthy AI ecosystem, covering policy frameworks, institutional capacity, digital infrastructure, data governance systems, and ethical safeguards.
The programme sits within a broader national push that includes cabinet approval in February 2026 of Ghana’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy covering 2023 to 2033, with President John Dramani Mahama having already directed all government agencies to integrate AI tools into public sector operations during 2026.
Assessments conducted as part of the process have found that while Ghana has made progress in digital adoption and ICT growth, the country currently lacks binding AI-specific regulations and comprehensive data governance frameworks to guide responsible deployment.
Researchers and officials have consistently stressed that the findings will feed directly into a national AI readiness report, which will shape concrete policy recommendations across government.
