The government has distributed more than 8,500 laptops to support the nationwide rollout of its flagship One Million Coders Programme (OMCP), aimed at equipping young people with critical digital skills.
The presentation, held in Accra, marks the beginning of Phase One of the initiative, which will see the deployment of laptops to 130 learning centres across all 16 regions, as well as selected universities. The devices will facilitate training in coding, artificial intelligence and other emerging digital technologies.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, said the government had taken lessons from the pilot phase to ensure a more impactful national rollout. He emphasised that the programme is focused not only on numbers but also on delivering measurable outcomes.
“This whole programme is not just about ticking a political box and saying we’ve done this; it’s about scaling, re-scaling and upscaling the next generation of Ghana’s ICT professionals,” he said.
Mr George explained that each of the 130 learning centres would receive 50 laptops, bringing the total allocation for community-based training to about 6,500 devices. An additional 2,000 laptops, secured through private sector support, will be distributed to universities, with further government supplies expected to boost the numbers.
The minister noted that the laptops had been customised to support structured learning tailored to the programme’s objectives. He recalled that the pilot phase, launched nearly a year ago, initially targeted 500 participants across four centres but attracted approximately 94,000 applications within 48 hours. Eventually, about 1,000 individuals were trained, providing key insights for the expansion.
To ensure inclusivity, Mr George said the government was collaborating with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to allocate 50,000 training slots to persons with disabilities through the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, while keeping the programme open to all applicants.
He also highlighted the role of key implementing agencies, including the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications, Ghana Digital Centres Limited and the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, as well as partnerships with universities.
Beyond skills training, the programme is designed to create employment opportunities. Mr George revealed that agreements had been signed with industry players to place up to 200,000 graduates in remote and outsourcing jobs.
He added that each learning centre would be managed by a technical officer, creating jobs for 130 young people in the first phase. The government will also track participant progress and employment outcomes to ensure accountability and long-term impact.
3news
