The Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, has expressed appreciation to the government for delivering on its promise to equip young people with digital skills under the One Million Coders Programme (OMCP).
Speaking at a presentation ceremony held on Tuesday, May 5, at the forecourt of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, the minister thanked the President for honouring his pledge to roll out the programme, which he said was aimed at training the youth across various fields.
He noted that the region has recently received its share of equipment under the National Apprenticeship Programme, and now a large quantity of laptops to support digital training. “And today we have been given a large quantity of laptops to train our youths in the digital world. And so this is a man (President Mahama) of his words lives after what he says. And so we want to on behalf of the Upper East region thank the President and the government as a whole, [including] my colleague minister, the Minister for Communications, Hon. Sam George, for making sure to translate our policy into reality,” the minister said.
The minister disclosed that the laptops under the OMCP are to be distributed to 11 centres. He, however, pointed out that the region has 15 districts and urged the Minister for Communications to consider establishing additional centres so that every district can benefit from the programme.
He also advised beneficiaries to use the laptops responsibly and not “privatize them” to the detriment of others, stressing that the devices are meant to provide opportunities for everyone interested in building digital skills. The minister further charged GIFEC coordinators to ensure that the laptops are accessible to all who want to learn, warning that government would not accept situations where access is restricted.
The Upper East Regional Manager of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Martin Aberba, said the intervention forms part of efforts to bridge the digital divide by extending ICT infrastructure and services to underserved communities.
He explained that the One Million Coders Programme, being implemented under the policy direction of the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, aims to equip one million young Ghanaians with coding, software development and other digital skills within the next two years.
Mr. Aberba noted that the presentation marked the first physical deployment of devices for the programme in the Upper East Region, adding that the laptops will be sent to selected training centres, including senior high schools, community ICT centres and youth skills centres across the region.
He said the initiative is expected to create new opportunities for young people, enabling them to work as freelance web developers, mobile app testers, software support assistants and other remote digital roles without the need to migrate.
According to him, the programme will also allow young people in remote communities to access the same level of digital training as their counterparts in more urbanised regions, while supporting local businesses and institutions with digital solutions developed by trained youth. He added that the programme will provide a structured pathway into the digital economy for unemployed youth and open up opportunities for further training, internships and job placements with partner technology firms.
“On behalf of the Administrator of GIFEC, I formally hand over this consignment of 550 laptop computers to you, Honourable Regional Minister, for custody and deployment to the 11 selected training centres under the One Million Coders Programme in the Upper East Region,” Mr. Aberba said.
He urged stakeholders to ensure the laptops are properly managed and used for their intended purpose, stressing that they represent an important investment in the future of young people in the region.
Speaking on behalf of Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), the District Chief Executive for Nabdam, Francis Yenwona Tobig, expressed appreciation to the government, the Regional Minister and GIFEC for the intervention. He pledged that the laptops would be put to use for their intended purpose to benefit the youth.
The One Million Coders Programme is a government initiative aimed at equipping young people with coding and digital skills to enhance their employability.
