Ghana’s National Information Technology Agency (NITA) is facing growing resistance from software developers, startup founders, and digital policy analysts over a proposed technology licensing framework they say would expand state control and impose prohibitive compliance costs on the country’s digital economy.
The backlash intensified this week ahead of a planned public discussion by NITA on social media platform X, where the agency was expected to defend draft provisions that critics say could extend licensing requirements across virtually every Information and Communications Technology (ICT) activity, including software development, cloud services, digital platforms, and Software as a Service (SaaS) operations.
Technology blogger and digital policy commentator MacJordan Degadjor focused attention on Sections 35 to 37 of the draft bill, warning that provisions limiting licenses to companies wholly owned by Ghanaian citizens would deter foreign investment and venture capital participation in local startups. “This directly threatens the foreign capital, partnerships, and expertise that fuel Ghanaian success stories,” he said, citing homegrown firms Hubtel and mPharma as examples of what is at stake.
Data scientist Alfred, also posting on X, warned that Ghana risked undoing years of digital sector progress. He specifically criticised proposals that would require technology professionals to obtain NITA certification before working in either the public or private sector, and that would impose levies calculated on gross revenue rather than profit.
NITA pushed back against the criticism, arguing that its authority predates the draft bill and is grounded in the National Information Technology Agency Act of 2008, the Electronic Transactions Act of 2008, and the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 2022. The agency noted that accreditation fees of 20,000 cedis, approximately US$1,900, for fintech firms and 10,000 cedis for e-commerce operators already exist under current regulations, and are not newly created by the pending legislation.
Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George defended the agency’s position on X, saying the government was enforcing existing law rather than introducing new powers. He noted that the proposed legislation had not yet been laid before Parliament and challenged opponents to identify any NITA action not backed by existing statutes.
The debate took a further turn after users circulated screenshots showing placeholder text on parts of NITA’s own website, with critics using the images to question the agency’s technical credibility at the same moment it seeks to regulate the broader digital industry.
The dispute arrives at a consequential moment. Ghana’s technology sector has been among the fastest-growing segments of national output since 2019, and the country has positioned itself as a regional digital hub. The outcome of the consultation process is likely to shape how investors assess Ghana’s regulatory environment and whether local startups can realistically scale across borders in an increasingly competitive African digital economy.
