Ghana’s Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations has launched a second cohort of its artificial intelligence (AI) literacy programme for civil servants, deepening a training drive that forms a core pillar of the country’s national digital agenda ahead of the formal rollout of a decade-long AI strategy.
The programme, run in partnership with UNESCO and coordinated through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, follows the first cohort held in Accra from March 24 to 26. The initiative is structured across four cohorts running through May, adopting a training-of-trainers model that requires each participant to return to their home institution as an internal resource person, cascading AI knowledge across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) without depending on ongoing external facilitation.
Speaking on behalf of Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George, Emmanuel Ofori told participants that the moment for preparation had already passed. “Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future concept, it is already shaping how governments operate, how decisions are made, and how services are delivered,” he said, adding that the ministry plans to formally integrate AI competencies into the civil service scheme of service, making digital skills a structured requirement for public sector roles rather than an optional add-on.
Head of Civil Service Evans Aggrey-Darkoh reinforced the urgency, urging participants to take individual ownership of the programme rather than treating it as a passive exercise. “You cannot give what you do not have,” he told the cohort, calling on them to become active resource persons within their institutions.
The training is aligned with UNESCO’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), an international framework that evaluates how prepared countries are to deploy AI ethically and at scale. Ghana’s RAM report is due for validation imminently and is expected to provide the evidence base for implementation of the national strategy. UNESCO’s country representative Carl Ampah said public servants sit at the centre of responsible AI adoption, emphasising the need for systems grounded in transparency and human-centred values.
The programme follows cabinet approval in February 2026 of Ghana’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy covering 2023 to 2033, with a formal public launch expected in the coming weeks. President John Dramani Mahama has already issued a directive requiring all government agencies to integrate AI tools into public sector operations during 2026. An Emerging Technologies Bill covering AI, blockchain and robotics is currently in draft form and is intended to establish ethical and data governance standards to accompany the strategy.
Ghana’s AI ambitions extend beyond the civil service. The government’s One Million Coders Program targets youth digital skills, and Ghana currently leads the African continent in certified AI experts under the AiAfrica framework. Officials have set a target of training 11 million Africans in AI competencies by 2030.
