President John Dramani Mahama has outlined a 10-year national strategy aimed at building a strong artificial intelligence ecosystem to drive innovation, create jobs and promote inclusive economic growth.

Speaking at the launch of the National AI Strategy, he said the plan will be implemented with clear targets and measurable indicators across key sectors, with close monitoring to ensure it remains on track.

“This strategy will be implemented over 10 years with clear targets and indicators across all its pillars. We intend to monitor progress closely and ensure that implementation remains as planned,” he stated.

A key component of the rollout, according to him, will be the establishment of a Responsible Artificial Intelligence Office to oversee implementation, coordinate stakeholders and drive the strategy’s objectives.

“One of the most critical steps will be to establish a Responsible Artificial Intelligence Office to oversee implementation, coordinate stakeholders, and drive the strategy’s objectives,” he added.

President Mahama said the vision is to develop a fully-fledged national AI ecosystem by 2035 that expands digital literacy and access, strengthens job creation and entrepreneurship, and supports local innovation.

“By 2035, our ambition is to have built a truly national AI ecosystem that expands literacy and access, strengthens jobs and entrepreneurship, and supports local innovation,” he said.
The strategy also focuses on strengthening data sovereignty, promoting indigenous language technologies and improving public service delivery.

“We envision a future in which AI is embedded across our educational system, where innovation flourishes beyond the classroom, and where universities lead in frontier research,” he noted.

He further explained that the plan seeks to help Ghanaian startups scale globally while ensuring that the informal sector and persons with disabilities are not excluded from technological advancement.

“We want a future where Ghanaian startups scale globally, and where our informal sector and persons with disabilities are not excluded from the technological process,” he emphasised.

President Mahama also stressed the importance of inclusivity, adding that gender considerations will be prioritised in implementation, while the civil and public service will be strengthened to lead AI-driven transformation.

“We will ensure gender inclusion in the rollout of AI and build a civil and public service that is fully capable of leading AI-enabled transformation,” he said.