Ghana and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a $1 billion memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a world-class technology and innovation hub in Ningo-Prampram, a district in Accra.
The agreement was signed by Ghana’s Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, and the Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) of Dubai, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.
“Yesterday marked the culmination of three months of behind the scenes workings between my Ministry and the government of the UAE to secure a landmark US$1 billion Innovation Hub deal.
This would see a number of global ICT giants and enabled businesses take residence in the hub as their African HQs.
“This partnership speaks to the vision of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana and the potential the One Million Coders Programme holds for Ghanaians,” George stated
The initiative, named the Ghana-UAE Innovations and Technology Hub, is expected to be a key platform for tech giants such as Microsoft, Oracle, Meta, IBM, and Alphabet among over 11,000 companies under the PCFC umbrella to expand their presence in Ghana and across the continent.
Details of the project
The first phase of the project will cover 25 square kilometres in Ningo-Prampram and will be fully funded by the UAE’s PCFC. The Government of Ghana is providing the land for the development.
The hub will function as a base for AI engineering, business process outsourcing (BPO), knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) and data generation for machine learning tools focused on Africa.
Minister Samuel Nartey George said the agreement marks a turning point in Ghana’s digital journey. He noted that the deal strengthens the government’s One Million Coders Programme, an initiative that will train one million young Ghanaians in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data protection, and data governance.
“To Ghana’s vibrant community of tech entrepreneurs, innovators, and digital talents, this is your platform. It is your ideas, your startups, your research, and your courage that will give it life and meaning. We are creating the conditions for a digital renaissance, led by Ghanaians for Ghanaians. Our goal is not to catch up with the digital age, but to help shape it.”
More insights
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem stated that the wealth of nations today is no longer measured by natural resources, but by the power to generate and scale ideas.
“In today’s world, national wealth is defined not by gold or oil but by the ability to generate, implement, and scale ideas, just as Apple turned a simple concept into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.”
He cited examples from DP World’s fully automated port in Rotterdam and its presence in over 70 countries, he explained how jobs are being redefined rather than eliminated.
“Jobs were not being lost but transformed, with workers now managing smarter processes and customer relationships,“ he stated.
He added that global supply chains are shifting and companies are seeking to manufacture closer to their markets, positioning Ghana to become a major production and distribution hub in West Africa.
What you should know
The Nigerian Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has been aggressively pushing the government’s AI agenda with a series of initiatives aimed at empowering Nigerians in the AI space.
- The Nigerian government launched in April launched a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy to boost AI development and economic growth with a focus on infrastructure, adoption, governance, and ethics. The Nigerian Artificial Intelligence Collective (NAIC) was also established to support the strategy’s implementation and ensure ethical and safe AI deployment.
- The government’s AI initiatives have attracted global tech companies like Google, committing the sum of N2.8 billion to accelerate AI talent development across Nigeria.
- This followed an initial N100 million commitment from Google to the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) AI Fund. Microsoft, early this year, announced a $1 million investment to equip one million Nigerians with artificial intelligence (AI) skills.
Despite the surge in artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives across Africa, experts say many countries on the continent are not yet equipped to fully benefit from the AI revolution due to critical infrastructure gaps, pointing out issues such as unreliable electricity, limited data connectivity, and inadequate digital frameworks continue to stall progress.
