One Million Coders Programme starts with 560 trainees - Sam George

A total of 560 young Ghanaians have been selected for the pilot phase of the government’s One Million Coders Programme, following a surge of over 4,000 applications received within the first four hours of its announcement.

The programme was launched in Accra on Tuesday, April 16 2025, as part of efforts by the John Dramani Mahama administration to tackle youth unemployment and equip young people with digital skills relevant to the emerging 24-hour economy.

It is one of the key initiatives under the president’s 120-day social contract.

Speaking at the launch held at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Mr Samuel Nartey George, said the ministry had originally planned to begin with 260 trainees.

He said the overwhelming interest compelled the ministry to adopt a double-track approach, increasing the intake to 560.

“We planned to do the pilot with 260 students, but within the first four hours of announcing it, we had over 4,000 applications. We decided to expand it to 560 using a double-track system,” Mr George stated.

According to him, the training will be delivered by the Kofi Annan ICT Centre, which is responsible for content development and coordination.

The initial courses include certifications such as Certified Data Protection Expert, Certified Data Protection Officer, Certified Data Protection Professional, and Data Analyst Associate. Coding will be embedded in all the courses, with additional elective modules in programming.

Mr George said the first phase will begin in four regions and later extend to the rest of the country.

He noted that only seven per cent of Ghanaian youth currently have access to structured digital training, while nearly one in five are not in education, employment, or training.

“This is not just a missed opportunity; it’s a barrier we must remove. The One Million Coders programme seeks to provide real skills that respond to the needs of today’s job market,” he said.

International technology companies and institutions, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, ALX, and the Tony Blair Institute, have expressed interest in supporting the programme.

Mr George said the goal is to prepare Ghanaian youth for roles in the fast-growing digital economy, particularly in areas such as business process outsourcing and knowledge-based services.

He described the programme as a turning point in Ghana’s digital journey and urged young people to take advantage of the opportunity.