The Chairman of Parliament’s Communications Committee, Bandim Lamangin Abed-Nego, is urging the government to legislate support for the Girls-in-ICT initiative, warning that without clear policy direction, the thousands of young women trained may struggle to translate their skills into jobs or business opportunities.
Speaking at the National Girls in ICT Day in Wa, the Bunkprugu MP stressed that while over 17,000 girls have been trained nationwide, the real challenge lies in ensuring employability and long-term opportunities.
“In Ghana, we are told that about 18,000 girls have been trained. The question I ask is: what has been the impact? Are we training these young girls just to be users of ICT or also creators of ICT? We from Parliament want to challenge the Ministry of Communications and its agencies to evaluate, monitor, and tell us the impact. That is why we need clear legislation to sustain the programme and guarantee its impact,” he said.
The Bunkprugu MP also called for stronger investment in ICT infrastructure and institutions, such as the Kofi Annan ICT Centre and the Accra Digital Centre, to prepare young women for the international digital economy.
“Kofi Annan ICT Centre has played a very important role, and so has the Accra Digital Centre. These two institutions under your ministry can be empowered. For instance, Ghana has 276 constituencies.
“The ministry and GIFEC should consider selecting brilliant girls from each constituency for further training,” he suggested.
The MP noted that for Ghana to fully benefit from the digital revolution, government must invest and ensure a structured policy framework that links ICT training to sustainable careers.
About the Author
