Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has stressed the need for increased investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to accelerate Ghana’s digital transformation and innovation agenda.

Speaking on Wednesday, July 2, during a visit by a delegation of Zimbabwean Members of Parliament exploring Ghana’s innovation and education models, Mr. Iddrisu noted that while strides have been made, much more needs to be done to improve digital infrastructure and expand access across the country.

“The government and the president have allocated an equivalent of almost $45 million for our national research fund. Our institutions are doing pretty well, and ICT is still not the best. We have to get more connected and deploy more fibre and broadband. Internet connectivity and its usage are not the best, but I can only agree with you that Africa still has a governance deficit and governance challenge,” he said.

The Zimbabwean delegation, led by Dr. Thokozani Khupe, urged African leaders to prioritise youth empowerment through innovation and entrepreneurship.

“We now want to produce job creators and not job seekers, so that when our students graduate from university, instead of them starting to look for a job, we want them to create jobs. So we are saying that if a student has an idea, the student must be given a space in the innovation hub so they can start working on their product, so that at the end of the day, they can produce a product that is ready for market,” she said.

The visit forms part of broader regional collaboration aimed at promoting innovation-led education and entrepreneurship across the continent.