Hon. Sam George Urges Urgent AI Integration to Protect Data Sovereignty
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP), has urged the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS), to consider swift institutional reform, enhanced digital capacity, and the urgent adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent what he described as the next frontier of “data colonisation.”
He emphasised that transformation without vision would yield limited results, and cautioned that Ghana must avoid repeating the failures of previous technological transitions.
Hon. Nartey George made these remarks when he chaired a public lecture hosted by the OHCS as part of lined up activities for the at the 2025 Civil Service Week Celebration and 2024 Awards Ceremony, held at the CLOGSAG Auditorium in Accra.
The event was held under the theme, “Adapting to Automation, Artificial Intelligence and E-Governance: The Civil Service in Contemporary Ghana.”
Underscoring the urgent need for reform, the Minister warned that failure to adapt to emerging technologies like AI, automation, and e-governance could render public institutions obsolete.
“Computers did not erode jobs in the civil service; they enhanced them, those who refused to migrate from typewriters to computers were left behind. The same will happen with AI. If we do not reskill and upskill, we will become redundant,” he mentioned.
The Minister highlighted Africa’s demographic advantage, noting that 68% of the continent’s 1.5 billion people are under 35, a tech-savvy population that generates massive volumes of data, hence, failure to manage and protect this data locally could expose the continent to digital exploitation.
As part of efforts to mainstream AI across the public sector, the Minister announced that all Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, and designated focal persons will participate in a two-day AI Boot Camp in the Eastern Region from July 25–26, 2025.
According to him, the initiative, developed in collaboration with UNDP, was designed to introduce government leaders to AI principles and generate tailored AI use cases for each Ministry.
“The Ministry cannot be the only ICT institution driving AI adoption. It must be a whole-of-government approach. Every Minister will leave that camp with actionable cases to improve service delivery,” he said.
To ensure sustainability, each Ministry was required to designate a technical focal person to support implementation and preserve institutional memory, adding that, Ministers may change, but institutions must remain strong to ensure that “we build a Civil Service that is future-proof.”
The Minister disclosed that a digital maturity mapping of all Ministries has already been completed and were expected to implement reforms based on their readiness levels, with bi-monthly progress reviews to be conducted by the Office of the President.
He emphasised the crucial role of Chief Directors as technical leaders of their Ministries, urging them to support Ministers and focal persons in driving institutional transformation.
Civil Service Reskilling: One Million Coders Initiative
In support of Ghana’s digital transition, Hon. George announced that 200 AI training kits from the One Million Coders Project will be made available to the Civil Service Training Centre to facilitate widespread upskilling of public servants.
He also proposed a reform of the civil service IT cadre, stressing the need for every ministry to have at least five dedicated digital officers, including:
1. A network/system engineer
2. A software developer
3. A certified data protection officer
4. An AI officer
5. A cybersecurity officer
“The era of relying on a single IT technician is over. We need full-spectrum digital teams embedded in every Ministry,” he added.
Hon. Nartey George concluded with a call for bold, ethical, and context-driven reform, urging stakeholders to move beyond ceremonial observances and embrace the responsibility of shaping a modern civil service.
“This lecture must not be ceremonial. It must mark a turning point toward building smarter, more agile, and citizen-focused institutions—ones that deliver services with efficiency, security, and fairness.”
He commended the planning committees and all stakeholders for their continued dedication to national development, expressing confidence that the insights shared would inform meaningful policy reform across the public sector.
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