• Government targets $45 billion AI contribution to GDP by 2035
• Plan combines major infrastructure investment with workforce development
• Strategy aims to reduce youth vulnerability and position Ghana as AI hub

Ghana wants to take control of the digital shift rather than react to it. On April 24 in Accra, President John Dramani Mahama launched the country’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, an 80-page plan built around eight strategic pillars. The goal is clear: position Ghana as Africa’s leading AI hub by 2035.

The strategy sets an ambitious target. Authorities expect artificial intelligence to contribute 500 billion cedis—about $45 billion—to national GDP by 2035.

To reach that goal, the plan rests on two main levers. The first focuses on infrastructure, with $250 million allocated to build a world-class AI computing center and an additional $20 million to support the rollout of the strategy in the short and medium term. The second centers on human capital.

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology played a key role in shaping the framework. Jerry John Kponyo, lead researcher at the Responsible AI Lab, coordinated the work alongside the government, international partners, and the private sector. He described the strategy as the result of “extensive research, consultations, and strong collective engagement.”

Jobs sit at the core of the plan. President Mahama made that clear. He said Ghana will not remain a passive consumer of technologies shaping the future but will instead play an active role in their design and deployment. The government is taking a human-centered approach, prioritizing inclusion and job creation over automation-driven job losses.

The initiative comes as pressure builds on the labor market. The government aims to raise enrollment in technical and vocational education and training programs to 190,000 by 2026, up from 59,583 in 2019 and 70,978 in 2022, according to the Ministry of Education’s medium-term framework. Female participation has also risen sharply, from 21.5% to 51.4% over the same period.

Still, these gains fall short of the scale of the challenge. Data from the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment shows that nearly 68% of working youth remain in vulnerable jobs, with no income security or social protection.

The AI strategy is intended as a structural response to that imbalance. Ghana currently ranks 72nd globally and sixth in Africa in the 2025 Global AI Index, behind countries such as Egypt, South Africa, and Rwanda. The ambition is now clearly stated. The next challenge is execution.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou