Two leading technology experts have urged government to expedite the passage of Ghana’s draft National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy to guide innovation and protect citizens from potential abuses of emerging technologies.
Speaking on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (20 October), Ammishaddai Ofori, co-founder of The Innovation Speak and communications consultant, and Dr. William Brown Acquaye, contributor to Ghana’s AI Practitioner’s Guide, warned that delays in adopting the policy could leave Ghana vulnerable in a rapidly evolving digital world.
“Artificial intelligence is machines learning to think and operate like human beings,” Ofori explained. “The reason Ghana must participate in the AI conversation is simple — we can’t afford to be left behind. We’ve always been a country that leapfrogs technology, but for the first time, we’re part of the conversation early, and that’s a big deal.”
Ghana’s draft AI strategy, developed in 2023 through a collaboration between the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, GIZ, and other partners, is built around eight pillars — including expanding AI education, empowering youth for AI jobs, and strengthening data governance and digital inclusion.
But two years later, the framework remains unapproved.
“If we don’t act now, we’ll be creating what I call the Wild West — where everyone builds whatever they want, without coordination or accountability,” said Dr. Acquaye. “Technology will evolve whether we have policy or not, but without regulation, we’ll spend the future chasing the problems we could have prevented.”
The experts highlighted that while Ghana’s AI ecosystem is growing — with start-ups, universities, and innovators using AI in agriculture, healthcare, and logistics — the absence of a national framework is slowing progress and exposing users to risks around data privacy, misinformation, and ethical misuse.
“Policy helps to regulate innovation,” Ofori noted. “Without it, you have people using tools like ChatGPT for official documents without any data protection structure. We need Ghana-owned AI infrastructure and local datasets to ensure sovereignty.”
Dr. Acquaye agreed, stressing that coordination, not just policy, is key.
“Right now, everyone in the AI space is working in silos — academia, innovators, and government aren’t talking to each other. We need a central body to guide development, ensure responsible AI, and prepare Ghanaians for the jobs of the future.”
The experts called for a stronger domestic funding commitment to AI development, noting that most investment currently comes from international partners such as GIZ, Smart Africa, and the French Embassy, which supports the Responsible AI Lab at KNUST.
They argued that adopting the AI policy now would enable Ghana to build on its momentum — using AI for agricultural forecasting, healthcare diagnostics, and public sector efficiency — while safeguarding citizens from harm.
“Every day we delay, we lose ground,” Ofori cautioned. “AI is already shaping our economy, our schools, even our farms. Ghana must act — not tomorrow, but now.”
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