The government is introducing a centralised technical review for all artificial intelligence (AI) systems acquired by public institutions, in a move aimed at strengthening data protection, cybersecurity and local control over critical digital infrastructure.

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, announced the directive at the US Embassy AI Forum in Accra. Under the arrangement, his Ministry will coordinate technical requirements, while the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) will lead the technical scoping of proposed AI deployments.

The mechanism is intended to complement, rather than replace, existing public procurement laws.

Mr George said government-acquired AI systems would be assessed against requirements covering interoperability, data protection, cybersecurity, sustainability and local skills transfer.

The approach is designed to reduce dependence on individual technology vendors and ensure that investments in AI strengthen Ghana’s data sovereignty and domestic technical capacity.

The directive forms part of the implementation of Ghana’s eight-pillar National Artificial Intelligence Strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama, which identifies sectors including finance, agriculture, fisheries, education, health and communications for phased AI adoption.

The government is also pursuing investments in an AI Compute Centre and upgrades to the National Data Centre, alongside the One Million Coders Programme, which the announcement said had recorded more than 141,950 registrations. A proposed 10-year National AI Delivery Framework is expected to guide implementation over the longer term.