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Sam George Launches Ministerial AI Bootcamp to Drive Smart Governance and Inclusive Innovation
In a bold move to position Ghana at the forefront of technological governance, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, has opened a three-day Ministerial AI Bootcamp aimed at equipping cabinet ministers, ministers of state, and key government officials with the tools and understanding needed to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into public sector governance and service delivery.
Speaking at the opening session of the bootcamp on Friday, June 25, Hon. Sam George emphasised that the gathering is not just a training session but a critical national leadership initiative.
“We stand at the dawn of an era defined by AI, a powerful technological force shaping not just economies and industries but also governance, national security, education, health, and human development itself,” he declared.
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The bootcamp, organised in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), seeks to demystify AI and help government leaders become strategic drivers of AI-enabled governance. With Ghana’s Digital Economic Policy and National AI Strategy currently under review, the event is expected to lay the foundation for responsible, ethical, and inclusive adoption of AI across ministries.
Sam George was quick to clarify that the bootcamp is not about turning ministers into programmers, although he jokingly urged each minister to sign up for the government’s 1 Million Coders program. Rather, the goal is to prepare decision-makers to govern wisely in an AI-driven era.
“This is about giving our leaders the tools to ask better questions, design more innovative policies, and align AI innovation with Ghana’s development agenda,” he said.
The initiative forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s whole-of-government digitalisation vision, which mandates cross-ministerial collaboration in deploying AI solutions.
Hon. Sam George cited examples such as using AI in the Ministry of Health to develop a predictive health intelligence centre that can track and forecast communicable diseases—an example of a sector-specific solution that could become a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for the ministry post-bootcamp.
“The President was very clear—artificial intelligence deployment should not be the sole preserve of the Ministry of Communication. It must cut across all ministries,” he stressed.
Hon. Sam George outlined four strategic aims of the bootcamp:
- Demystify Artificial Intelligence—Clarify what AI is and isn’t, particularly in a governance context.
- Explore Global Trends & Use Cases – Study international best practices and develop AI applications tailored to specific ministries.
- Examine Ethical & Institutional Challenges – Tackle concerns around biased data, sovereignty, and algorithmic transparency.
- Align with Ghana’s National Strategy – Finalise and adopt the revised National AI Strategy, built through a participatory, multi-sectoral process.
- He further revealed that Ghana’s revised National AI Strategy will soon be launched. The strategy focuses on balancing innovation with responsibility, ensuring that AI deployment strengthens democratic values while accelerating socio-economic transformation.
“Ghana cannot afford to be a bystander in the global AI race. We must be an informed, strategic actor,” Hon. Sam George concluded.
