Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation Samuel Nartey George has called for a distinctly African approach to the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI), stressing the need for African values, data, computing infrastructure and human capacity to be reflected in the global AI ecosystem.
Speaking at the ongoing UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,the Minister said Ghana’s experience with the UNESCO Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) had helped the country identify both its strengths and weaknesses as it implements its ten-year National AI Strategy.
He said the assessment had provided Ghana with a basis for developing an implementation framework that identifies areas where the country can build on existing strengths while addressing critical gaps.
Sam George, however, said discussions on AI ethics must go beyond technical considerations to examine the values embedded in AI systems.
According to him, because ethics are shaped by values, it is important to ask whose values are reflected in the AI models being developed and deployed globally.
He expressed concern that some AI systems may fail to properly recognise African cultural practices because they have not been sufficiently trained on African datasets.
He cited what he described as a typical example where an AI model could classify a Western woman in a bikini differently from an African woman participating in a traditional cultural rite, potentially labelling the latter as nudity.
The Minister said such outcomes highlight the danger of developing AI systems without adequate representation of African data, culture and traditions.
He, therefore, called on UNESCO to play a leading role in ensuring that African values and perspectives are adequately represented in the development of global AI ethical standards.
Sam George also drew parallels with social media governance, questioning the extent to which global community standards reflect African cultural values.
He argued that Africa must have a stronger voice in determining the standards that will govern emerging technologies.
The Minister further called for increased investment in computing infrastructure and human capacity across the African continent.
He said Ghana was committing US$250 million over the next two years towards the development of AI computing infrastructure, but stressed that the investment was not intended to serve Ghana alone.
Ghana, he explained, could become a regional computing hub that provides access to high-performance computing resources for neighbouring countries, universities, researchers and technology start-ups.
“We’re not building for Ghana. Ghana is just 35 million people. We’re building that infrastructure with a mindset of Africa as a continent,” he said.
He said African countries should avoid a situation where every country attempts to independently establish expensive computing infrastructure, which could put additional pressure on the continent’s already constrained power systems.
Instead, he advocated the development of regional infrastructure hubs that can serve multiple countries.
Under such an arrangement, he said, countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, The Gambia and others could access computing infrastructure hosted in Ghana, while contributing to and benefiting from the ecosystem.
The Minister said such an approach would allow African researchers and start-ups to access computing resources that are more affordable, sovereign and located on the continent, rather than depending entirely on infrastructure hosted outside Africa.
One Million Coders Programme
On human capital development, Mr. Sam George said Ghana was simultaneously investing in developing the skills required to operate and govern emerging technologies.
He cited the government’s One Million Coders programme an initiative aimed at training one million Ghanaians in future-oriented digital skills.
He explained that the programme goes beyond coding, with participants also receiving training in areas including artificial intelligence, data security and cybersecurity.
He said Ghana was working with the Ministry of Education to extend the programme into secondary schools and had already partnered with universities across the country.
According to him, AI-related courses are being integrated into university programmes, with students in 20 major universities required to complete designated AI courses as prerequisites for graduation.
“If you don’t do it, you don’t graduate from the university,” the Minister stated, stressing the importance government attaches to creating a critical pool of AI-skilled professionals.
He further disclosed that, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ghana had trained all Chief Directors, equivalent to Permanent Secretaries in some jurisdictions, in AI skills.
The training, he said, is now being extended to directors and assistant directors across the civil service.
He explained that government officials responsible for supervising AI deployment must themselves have the knowledge and skills required to effectively regulate and manage the technology.
Push for African consensus
Looking beyond Ghana, Sam George called for an African consensus on AI governance, infrastructure and the continent’s engagement with major global technology companies.
He said Ghana’s upcoming leadership roles within the African Union presented an opportunity to advance a collective continental position on AI and digital technologies.
He noted that Ghana would assume the chairmanship of the African Union from February next year, while he is expected to chair the AU Specialized Technical Committee on ICT and Communications
He said these platforms could be used to build consensus on Africa’s priorities and strengthen the continent’s negotiating position with major global technology companies.
According to him, individual African countries may struggle to influence companies such as NVIDIA and Huawei but a unified continental position through the African Union would give Africa greater leverage.
“Ghana alone cannot bring Nvidia or Huawei to the table to meet our position. But when we take a collective position as Africa, then we can have a voice at the table through the African Union,” he said.
The Minister expressed appreciation to UNESCO for providing a platform for countries to engage on the ethical, technical and developmental dimensions of artificial intelligence.
He said Ghana remained committed to working with UNESCO, the African Union and other international partners to ensure that AI development serves Africa’s interests while contributing to inclusive and sustainable development