Government introduces centralised review for public sector AI acquisitions

The Government has introduced a centralised technical review mechanism for all artificial intelligence (AI) acquisitions in the public sector to safeguard data sovereignty and ensure long-term domestic control over critical digital infrastructure.

Announcing the directive at the U.S. Embassy AI Forum in Accra, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, said the Ministry would coordinate technical requirements for all AI procurements while the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) leads technical scoping.

According to him, the mechanism is designed to complement existing public procurement laws and prevent vendor lock-in, safeguard Ghana’s data sovereignty and ensure long-term domestic control over critical digital infrastructure

Under the policy, every government-acquired AI system will be assessed against benchmarks covering interoperability, data protection, cybersecurity, sustainability and mandatory local skills transfer.

Mr Samuel Nartey George explained that the policy forms part of the implementation of Ghana’s eight-pillar National Artificial Intelligence Strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama.

The strategy targets phased deployment of AI solutions across the finance, agriculture, fisheries, education, health and communications sectors.

To support implementation, the government is investing in key infrastructure, including an AI Compute Centre and upgrades to the National Data Centre, while workforce development initiatives such as the One Million Coders Programme have recorded more than 141,950 registrations.

The Minister said a 10-year National AI Delivery Framework would guide implementation and ensure that international technology partnerships contribute to local capacity building and skills transfer.