The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication has climaxed its 5^th Cohort of Digital Skills Training for Citizens under the Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Project, at Bonwire in the Ashanti Region.

The 3-week training, which is the final one for 2023, started on 20^th November and ended on 6^th December, 2023.

Speaking at the event, Alhaji Faisal Issahaku Gbanjili, Director of Administration & Human Resources for GIFEC, who represented the Administrator, reiterated the institution's commitment to intensify meaningful digital inclusion through various ICT capacity-building initiatives for citizens, especially those in underserved and unserved communities.

Specifically, he said that 2,850 citizens have been trained across 73 GIFEC Community ICT Centres (CICs) in this current cohort of training under the DTC, which is being implemented in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Cisco, and the Norwegian Agency for Development Corporation (NORAD).

He added that “The DTC has largely seen about 17,450 citizens trained in Cisco-certified Basic and Intermediate ICT courses, with the goal of reaching a total of 20,000 citizens by the end of the project next year”.

Alhaji Gbanjili highlighted other significant successes chalked since the inception of the DTC Project in 2020, including the training of 209 Trainers, 30 Coding Clubs established with 1,260 club members, and 20 Trainers to provide Basic Computer Skills training, for the visually impaired.

He urged all the participants across the country, to capitalise on the skills acquired through this rare opportunity, to enhance their businesses, employability and their lives in general, for economic benefits.

The National Project Officer from the ITU, Mr. Alex Boahoma, emphasised the essence of the project and the reason for their support.

He posited that the ITU’s strategic decision to prioritize the empowerment of women, is rooted in the firm belief that inclusivity is the key to enhancing Ghana's digital ecosystem.

“The overarching objective of the project is to empower Ghanaian citizens, especially those in marginalized communities, to actively participate and thrive in the digital economy. We also aim to improve the employability of young people by strengthening their digital skills through comprehensive training programmes”, he said.

He congratulated all the beneficiaries of the project, while anticipating life-changing stories from them soon.

Other speakers at the event included representatives of the Member of Parliament and the Municipal Chief Executive, who encouraged participants to adopt the acquired skills to enhance their livelihoods.

The delegation from GIFEC also paid a courtesy call on the traditional ruler of the Bonwire Traditional area, Nana Bobie Ansah II, who thanked the organisers for such a thoughtful event and especially GIFEC for renovating the CIC and furnishing it with ultramodern equipment to serve the ICT needs of the youth in the community.