The Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation has launched a program dubbed ‘Girls In ICT’ in Damongo in the Savannah Region with a five day trainer of trainees workshop for hundreds of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Teachers for a target of 1000 girls in the region.
Addressing Participants during the launch under the theme ”Digital Skills For Life” on Tuesday 11th April, 2023, on behalf of the Minister for Communication,
the Director in charge of Policy Planning and Evaluations at the Ministry of Communication Mr. Emmanuel Ofori indicated that ICT is a critical part of the educational curriculum which unfortunately is male dominated and that has necessitated the implementation and rolling out of the project.
He further mentioned that Ghana is at the digital age which everyone especially, the “GIRL CHILD” must seriously get involved.
For his part, the Savannah Regional Minister Mr Saeed Muazu Jibril, expressed much gratitude to the team from the Ministry of Communication and Digitalization for rolling out this very important program in his region, adding that the Savannah Region has been in the news for positive reasons in the Education sector
and that, the ‘Girls In ICT’ program will further offer an opportunity to improve the educational standards in the Savannah Region.
He disclosed that the Savannah Region has spent 40% of it’s common fund on education and it’s related activities just to improve the standards and further change the narrative in the country, adding that
India is ripping hugely on ICT today after investing heavily in ICT.
The the Savannah Regional Minister urged participants to take the program seriously so that the Region will also benefit from the outcome of the program.
Project Manager at the Kofi Annan Center of Excellence In ICT Miss Priscilla Hope, encouraged participants of the trainers to take the training seriously.
She however hinted that all the targeted one thousand girls would be given laptops computers with the best ten students in every district in the region receiving an award and some cash.
Madam Priscilla explain that the best three students would be picked from the best ten in each district and after evaluation, the best students will receive a modern state of the art computer laboratory with the best teachers also being awarded with laptop computers.
The Savanna Regional Ghana Education Service (GES) Human Resources Director Mr Iddisah Seidu indicated that, the project is very dear to GES in the region.
He said the Savannah Region education directorate will monitor the project keenly to see the progress of it from the beginning to the end .
Miss Zulaiha Yakubu at the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications, (GIFEC) said the project which will give equal opportunity to girls to learn ICT, is very much of an interest to her outfit.
She disclosed that GIFEC is providing computer Labs for schools and telephone network to hard to reach communities for equal access to mobile network to enable ICT learning in the country.
The Girls in ICT programme, was introduced in 2012 by the International Telecommunications Union to empower and encourage girls and young women to acquire digital skills and consider studies and careers in the growing field of Information and Communication Technologies.
Ghana has adopted this initiative and observed it on a regional basis. It has already been celebrated in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, Volta, Western, Western North, North East, Central and Oti regions.
The training also forms part of strategies to both ensure that Ghana achieves the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, and Ghana’s ICT4AD Policy on bridging the gender gap.
Source: nkilgifmonline.com
