Within just one week of its unveiling, the One Million Coders Training Program attracted applications from almost ninety‑two thousand Ghanaian youth, with 91 847 submissions recorded by the time of its launch.
This surge far outstripped initial expectations and underscored the hunger for digital skills among young Ghanaians.
Minister Samuel Nartey George delivered the welcome address at the official launch held at the Kofi Annan ICT Centre in Accra on April 16 2025. He noted that what began as a pilot for just a few hundred trainees has now captured the imagination of tens of thousands, validating President John Dramani Mahama’s pledge to equip one million youth with digital skills within 120 days of taking office.
The program is structured around six carefully designed modules ranging from Certified Cybersecurity Professional and Certified Network Support Technician to a suite of data‑protection certifications and a Data Analyst Associate track—each offered at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Coding underpins every course, and an elective coding strand will allow participants to deepen their programming expertise.
Content creation and training oversight rest with the Kofi Annan ICT Centre, and the pilot phase spans four regions the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Sunyani and Bolgatanga regions before a nationwide rollout over four years. Plans are already in motion to partner with tertiary institutions to embed coding as a compulsory course for graduation.
Minister George highlighted the stark gaps in digital preparedness, pointing out that only about seven per cent of Ghanaian youth receive structured digital training, while nearly sixty per cent across sub‑Saharan Africa lack foundational digital skills. He further noted that nearly one in five young Ghanaians are not in education, employment or training, a statistic that the program aims to address.
To broaden access, the initiative includes measures to reach rural populations, women and persons with disabilities and will leverage a public‑private partnership model, exemplified by collaboration with MTN Ghana to integrate artificial intelligence and coding labs into selected training centres. Registration is open at https://onemillioncoders.gov.gh.
This landmark initiative marks a pivotal step in Ghana’s digital journey, transforming policy promise into tangible opportunity. By aligning training with market needs and prioritizing inclusivity, the One Million Coders Program lays the groundwork for a generation of thinkers and problem‑solvers armed with code and empowered to shape the nation’s economic future.
Source: News Ghana / Digpu NewsTex