Ghana is targeting the completion of the first phase of a national computing facility within the next 24 months to provide researchers, universities and businesses with the computing capacity needed to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, said the government was undertaking procurement processes with the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to acquire the data centre infrastructure and related equipment for the project.
Speaking at the JoyNews Digital Economy Forum on AI and the Ghana Economy on Wednesday, October 21, the minister said the facility would help reduce the reliance of Ghanaian researchers and businesses on computing services purchased from providers outside the country.
“We are currently going through procurement with PPA on getting a data centre, the computer infrastructure and all the various parts of it put together. 24 months from now, we should have phase one completed with serious computing infrastructure that we can then give to our researchers, our industry and our universities who are currently buying tokens outside the country and buying capacity outside the country,” he said.
The proposed facility is expected to provide computing resources for institutions and businesses involved in AI research and development, which often require significant processing power to train models, run applications and analyse large volumes of data.
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Mr George described the project as an initial step towards building Ghana’s capacity to develop and deploy AI technologies, adding that the country’s broader ambitions would require sustained investment and implementation.
The minister cautioned against expecting the country to address all its AI infrastructure and development needs within the remaining period of the Mahama administration.
He said the completion of the first phase would mark an important milestone but would not represent the end of Ghana’s efforts to build capacity in the sector.
The initiative comes as Ghana seeks to strengthen the infrastructure, technical skills and institutional capacity needed to participate in the growing AI economy.
Access to computing power is a key requirement for AI research and commercial applications, particularly for organisations that develop and run computationally demanding systems.
The facility’s potential impact will depend on its computing capacity, affordability, reliability and accessibility to researchers, universities and businesses.
The government’s 24-month target sets a timeline for the first phase, while further investment and sustained policy implementation will be needed to support Ghana’s wider AI development ambitions.
