Ghana has announced that all public-sector artificial intelligence (AI) acquisitions will now undergo a centralised technical review, in a move the government says will safeguard the country's data sovereignty and ensure long-term domestic control over critical digital infrastructure.
Under the directive, the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations will coordinate technical requirements, while the National Information Technology Agency leads the technical scoping.
"Every government-acquired AI system will now be evaluated against strict benchmarks for interoperability, data protection, cybersecurity, sustainability, and mandatory local skills transfer," said Samuel Nartey George, minister for communication, digital technology and innovations, speaking at an AI forum in Accra co-hosted with the US Embassy.
George said the mechanism, which aims to prevent vendor lock-in, was designed to complement statutory public procurement laws rather than replace them.
The ministry says the policy operationalises Ghana's eight-pillar National AI Strategy, launched by President John Dramani Mahama on 24 April.
Overseen by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, the ten-year plan aims to transform the West African country into an AI-powered society and position it as a leading continental AI hub.
To support this, capital investments such as a planned $250 million AI Compute Centre and upgrades to the National Data Centre are being paired with workforce initiatives such as the One Million Coders Programme, which George said had surpassed 141,950 registrations since its 2025 launch.
George's ministry also says that, backed by a forthcoming ten-year National AI Delivery Framework, Ghana is setting terms for global technology partners, ensuring that international engagements build local capacity, transfer equity and treat the country as an innovation partner rather than merely a consumer market.
ITWeb Africa reported in June that George had already flagged data sovereignty, a modernised regulatory framework and a centralised national data exchange hub as priorities for Ghana's AI agenda. This week's directive extends that approach specifically to how the government itself buys AI systems.
Share
