The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) will receive an additional 2,000 laptops to expand training under the government’s One Million Coders Programme, Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George said.
The allocation will increase the number of laptops provided to KNUST from 500 to 2,500 and support the establishment of 15 learning centres across the university.
Speaking during a visit to KNUST, Mr. Nartey George said the ministry was restructuring its engagement with the university to prioritise third- and fourth-year students and better prepare them for employment after graduation.
“We are looking to redesign our engagement with KNUST. The new focus is to make sure that we are training students as they exit the University and equipping them with the right kinds of skills,” he said.
The training would be informed by a skills gap analysis being conducted with experts from Harvard University to align the programme with labour market needs, he added.
Mr. Nartey George said universities would play a central role in implementing the government’s digital policies, particularly in artificial intelligence and the development of indigenous language models.
He identified KNUST as a partner in developing AI language models for Twi, saying local academics and traditional authorities should contribute their knowledge to ensure the technology accurately reflects Ghanaian languages and cultural contexts.
Incorporating indigenous languages into AI systems would make the technology more accessible to local communities, including farmers and people seeking healthcare, he said.
He cited potential applications in precision farming, weather monitoring and crop disease detection, alongside the use of 5G technology to support telemedicine and connect patients in underserved communities with specialist medical services.
“President John Dramani Mahama launched Ghana’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy in April 2026, and the country has since moved into the implementation phase.”
Mr. Nartey George said KNUST’s expertise would be essential to implementing the strategy.
KNUST Vice-Chancellor Prof. Christian Agyare thanked the ministry for the additional laptops and its partnership with the university.
“We are very grateful for this visit and the donation. The fact that you identify KNUST as a partner institution means a lot to us,” he said.
Prof. Agyare welcomed the focus on students approaching graduation, saying it would help prepare them for employment and encourage entrepreneurship. He said the university would use the equipment through its existing learning centres.
Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, coordinator of the One Million Coders Programme at KNUST and head of the Responsible AI Lab, said 1,447 students were enrolled across four training centres at the university, with 195 having completed the training.
The programme aims to equip one million Ghanaians with practical digital skills to improve their employment prospects, he said.
Prof. Kponyo said KNUST could accommodate more trainees, but access to employment opportunities would be crucial to the programme’s success.
“We have the facilities to accommodate more participants, but connecting them to employment opportunities is essential to achieving the programme’s objectives,” he said.
Story: Ama Pokuaa Mensah Photos: Emmanuel Dankwah
