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Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister for Communications and Digitalization joining Prince Sefa (middle), Board Chairman of GDCL and Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, CEO for GDCL to cut the 5th anniversary cake in Accra.
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The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful says the Ghana Digital Centers Limited (GDCL) has now risen to become the digital hub of the country.
According to her, after inheriting vacant structures with no internet connection in 2017, the GDCL has built a world class Technology part out of it.
Speaking at the 5th anniversary celebration ceremony of the GDCL, the Minister commended the World Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation for committing funds into the establishment and operations of the center.
‘’I am glad that with no proper set up in 2017, GDCL has grown to become Ghana’s foremost Technology and Digital Innovation Park with Accra Digital Center as the main digital hub providing affordable real estate incubation and accelerated programs’’, the Minister stated.
Achievements:
According to the Minister who has oversight responsibility over GDCL, the outfit since its establishment has boosted with little over five thousand direct and indirect jobs so far.
GDCL, she noted, has also enhanced the drive for knowledge-led socio-economic growth as well as information technology skills for self sufficiency.
She stressed that about fifteen thousand youth have so far acquired various forms of digital skills training.
‘’I take this opportunity to thank the Board and partners of the GDCL for their continuous support for such inspiring and innovative initiatives to help drive Ghana’s digital agenda’’, Mrs Ekuful posited.
CEO Of GDCL:
Addressing the audience earlier on in the day, Hon Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, Chief Executive Officer recounted the difficulties most graduates face in accessing jobs and employment avenues.
Quoting from the Institute of Statistics, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, the CEO said only 10% percent of graduates find jobs after their first year of completing school.
On the average, the CEO stated it may take up to 10 years for many young people to secure employment after graduation.
‘’To address this challenge GDCL has partnered Make-IT in Africa, a program implemented by German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development to implement a Tertiary Digital Innovation Program’’, Hon Baah Agyemang noted.
He said as an initiative the program has been designed to foster digital innovation and entrepreneurship by providing support for tertiary students and recent graduates to grow technology driven projects and research works into innovative start-ups and solutions that address national developmental challenges.
The program will select graduates who at the point of completion from the participating universities have developed a concept for a technology startup which they have the desire to pursue with the needed support.
STORY BY MICHAEL OFOSU-AFRIYIE,
KUMASI.
