Use talents, skills to bridge societal divides - Owusu-Ekuful urges GCTU graduates

The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has urged graduates and young people to use their knowledge and skills in technology and engineering to bridge economic, geographic, educational and other forms of societal divides. 

She encouraged them to develop and implement technologies that transformed agriculture, health care, education and governance and to venture into technology-driven entrepreneurship that offered innovative services that could meet local and global needs and bring efficiency to everyday life.

“I am particularly proud to note that many of the digital applications currently in use by government agencies --- from e-government platforms to digital financial systems --- were developed by young men and women like you.

You are at the forefront of these efforts, and I urge you to continue striving for excellence as we work together to build an inclusive digital economy,” she added. 

The minister was speaking at the 34th congregation ceremony of the Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU) held in Accra on Saturday, November 30, 2024.

In all, 1,568 students received certificates after successfully completing their studies. They were made up of 1,508 undergraduates, who completed programmes across ICT, Business and Engineering faculties; 43 Coventry University graduates; 13 GCTU graduates; and two PhDs.  

Initiatives

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West, said according to World Bank estimates, digital technologies could contribute up to $2 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025 and as such, the government was putting in place initiatives to effectively harness their potential.

These include the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project, which has connected 1,460 out of 2,016 communities, benefiting over 3.5 million people, and the National Roaming system to improve rural connectivity.

Similarly, Girls-in-ICT has trained over 14,000 girls, addressing gender imbalances, while partnerships with ITU, NORAD and Cisco have enhanced digital skills for over 22,000 beneficiaries.

She further stated that the ministry had also built 250 Community ICT Centres and over 1,100 school cyberlabs, promoting access to technology and established a Digital Youth Hub, set to open this month, to support youth in digital entrepreneurship, job creation and global competitiveness, solidifying the country’s place in the digital economy.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, therefore, urged the graduating class to strive to be innovative and dream big, think critically, be adaptive, positive, responsible, dynamic and push boundaries because, regardless of the field they chose, the country would need their talents to build a better future. 

Achievements

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, gave an overview of the institution’s achievements over the years, including the introduction of new graduate programmes, to address the digital era demands, forging partnerships with industry and investments in infrastructure, among others.

He said it was the collective effort of the university, its students and partners to contribute meaningfully to the national digital transformation in a manner that ensured no one was left behind.