National ICT Week: Experts Call for ICT Events to Reach Ghana’s Regions

Calls have emerged for Ghana’s major Information and Communication Technology (ICT) events to be expanded beyond Accra to give young people and technology enthusiasts across the country greater access to opportunities in the digital economy.

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The issue was raised during discussions at National ICT Week 2026, where participants questioned why major ICT programmes and events are often concentrated in the national capital.

Responding to the concern, speakers acknowledged that organising large-scale events across the country comes with significant financial and logistical challenges, particularly when sponsorship is limited.

One of the speakers suggested that with adequate sponsorship, watch-party centres could be established in universities and communities across the country, allowing people outside Accra to follow the same sessions and presentations being held in the capital.

The sessions could also be streamed online, allowing participants to access the content after the event.

“It’s unfortunate, but it seems Ghana is Accra, so that’s what we have now,” one speaker said, while noting that the organisers could consider taking National ICT Week to other regions when more sponsorship becomes available.

ICT Activities Already Expanding Beyond Accra

The discussion also highlighted efforts already being made to take technology-related activities to communities outside Accra.

A representative of the Esports Association said the organisation has been involved in grassroots development across several regions, including Ho, Takoradi, Cape Coast, Koforidua and Tamale.

The association also conducts activities in less-known communities within Accra, introducing young people to video gaming and related opportunities.

The representative, however, said wider participation would depend partly on improved internet access, particularly in rural communities.

High Data Costs Remain a Challenge

Another major issue raised during the discussion was the cost of internet data in Ghana.

Participants noted that expensive data can make it difficult for young people and students to consistently access online educational resources, AI tools and digital platforms.

The discussion suggested that the Ministry of Education, schools and telecommunications companies could explore partnerships that would allow students to access selected educational platforms with little or no data charges.

Such arrangements, speakers argued, could make digital education more accessible to students across the country.

The idea was compared to earlier initiatives that allowed users to access selected online platforms without paying for data.

AI and Local Languages

The National ICT Week discussions also touched on the growing need to develop Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems that understand Ghanaian and other African languages.

A speaker argued that many technology products are designed primarily around English, making them less accessible to large sections of the population.

The discussion stressed the need for AI systems capable of understanding, interpreting and speaking local languages.

The speaker also referenced initiatives and organisations working on local-language technology and noted that there is a significant opportunity for African developers to build products specifically for local markets.

AI Could Push Human Potential Further

The discussions also examined whether increasingly capable AI systems could eventually replace humans in areas such as gaming and other activities.

One speaker offered a more optimistic perspective, arguing that competition with increasingly capable AI could push humans to develop their own abilities further.

The discussion also pointed to emerging human-computer interfaces, including technologies that allow people to interact with computers through gestures and, potentially, neural signals.

The speaker predicted that gaming could increasingly move away from traditional physical controllers toward body movements, gestures and eventually thought-based interaction.

Rather than seeing such developments solely as a threat, the speaker argued that they could encourage humans to explore capabilities that have not yet been fully developed.

Africa Can Build Its Own Technology Path

Another major theme was the opportunity for African countries to avoid simply following technological trends established elsewhere.

The speaker used the development of solar energy and traditional power generation as an analogy, arguing that countries often follow whichever technology becomes dominant globally.

Africa, the speaker suggested, could instead identify technologies that other regions have overlooked and invest in developing them independently.

This approach could allow African innovators to build alternative technological solutions that may eventually become valuable to the rest of the world.

The discussion suggested that local-language AI, African-focused digital products and other emerging technologies could provide opportunities for the continent to develop its own technological strengths rather than simply adopting solutions developed elsewhere.

Making National ICT Week More Inclusive

The discussions ultimately highlighted the need for Ghana’s digital transformation agenda to reach communities beyond Accra.

While funding and sponsorship remain challenges to organising major events across multiple regions, participants suggested that regional watch parties, university centres, online streaming and grassroots technology programmes could help bridge the gap.

The broader message from National ICT Week 2026 was that Ghana’s digital future cannot be built solely from Accra.

Expanding access to technology, affordable internet, AI education and digital opportunities across the regions could help more young people participate in Ghana’s growing digital economy.