Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has called on African countries to take a more active role in shaping global internet governance and artificial intelligence (AI) policies to ensure the continent’s interests are represented in decisions concerning the digital future.
He made the call on Sunday, 1 November 2026, at the closing ceremony of the 2026 African School of Internet Governance (AfriSIG), held at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT in Accra.
George, an alumnus of the 2023 AfriSIG programme in Abuja, Nigeria, said Africa must move beyond being a consumer of technologies and policies developed elsewhere and become an active participant in establishing global digital standards.
He highlighted the continent’s growing youthful population as an opportunity to influence the future of the internet, stressing the importance of stronger African representation in international internet governance institutions and decision-making processes.
On artificial intelligence, the minister warned that systems developed without sufficient African data, languages and perspectives could misrepresent the continent and deepen existing inequalities.
He called for increased investment in digital skills, computing capacity, data infrastructure and local innovation, supported by strong data protection and accountability frameworks.
George also stressed the need for a unified African position in global digital policy discussions, including engagements at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other international standard-setting platforms.
As Chair of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Communication and ICT, he reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Africa’s interests in these international engagements.
The minister also highlighted Ghana’s efforts to build digital capacity through initiatives such as the One Million Coders Programme, which aims to equip young people with skills to participate in the digital economy.
Addressing graduates of AfriSIG 2026, George urged them to apply their knowledge to developing sound digital policies, strengthening regulation and promoting inclusive internet governance in their respective countries.
He also commended the programme’s convenors and partners for their role in building internet governance capacity across Africa.
