• Ghana signed an agreement with Telecel Group to train 100,000 young people under the “One Million Coders” initiative.

• The government targets digital skills training for 1 million people within four years.

• Youth unemployment reached 32.0% among 15–24 year-olds in 2024, according to official data.

Ghanaian authorities are multiplying local and international partnerships to implement the initiative. They have notably engaged Code Racoon, TikTok, Cisco, TECHAiDE, Google, Huawei, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.

The Ghanaian government signed a memorandum of understanding last week with mobile operator Telecel Group to train 100,000 young Ghanaians under the “One Million Coders” initiative. The executive branch had already partnered with MTN Group for the program, which aims to equip 1 million people with digital skills over four years.

Under the terms of the agreement, Telecel committed to provide free access to its Startocode platform, a multilingual, self-paced digital learning platform designed to deliver affordable and inclusive coding education. The platform combines interactive lessons and practical projects, ensuring that learners acquire concrete and immediately marketable skills for the technology job market.

“We believe that aligning with the One Million Coders initiative will help us equip tens of thousands of young people with essential digital and coding skills for Ghana’s fast-growing digital economy. And more importantly, to empower the country to lead the future of the digital ecosystem that is already transforming Africa,” Telecel Group Chief Executive Officer Moh Damush said at the signing ceremony on Thursday, December 11.

On December 10, Samuel Nartey George, Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, met a delegation from MTN Ghana. The meeting focused on the progress of the partnership to establish an ICT hub at the Accra Digital Center. Both parties had already signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2025 to support the One Million Coders program, with a focus on artificial intelligence, digital technologies, data governance and cybersecurity.

“We must develop our own talent on the African continent; we must train our own computer engineers and we must do more in coding in order to prepare ourselves for the future,” MTN Group Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said at the time.

MTN also recalled that it launched the MTN Skills Academy in 2023 in several countries where it operates, including Ghana. The initiative aims to facilitate access to digital and financial skills training across the continent. It offers a wide range of courses—including coding, web development, digital marketing and data analytics—to ensure that 60% of young people and adults acquire at least basic digital skills by the end of 2025.

The Ghanaian government is turning to telecom operators because they already possess the infrastructure, platforms and expertise required to deploy large-scale digital training programs quickly and at lower cost. By relying on players such as Telecel and MTN, the state pools investment, reduces the program’s budgetary burden and aligns youth training with actual labor market needs in areas such as coding, data and cybersecurity. The strong geographic footprint of telecom operators, including in underserved areas, also supports digital inclusion and helps reduce regional disparities.

These training efforts come as the World Bank estimates that 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030. In Ghana, authorities view this projection as an opportunity. Official data show that youth unemployment averaged 32.0% among 15–24 year-olds in 2024, while the rate reached 22.5% among those aged 15–35. The figures indicate that young people accounted for seven out of ten unemployed individuals.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum