The Ghanaian government is set to introduce a centralized technical review process for artificial intelligence (AI) systems acquired by the public sector, as part of efforts to strengthen oversight and ensure responsible deployment of AI across government institutions.
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, announced the initiative at the U.S. Embassy AI Forum in Accra.
Under the new framework, the Ministry will coordinate technical requirements, while the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) will lead the technical assessment and scoping of proposed AI deployments.
The government said the new process will complement existing public procurement laws rather than replace them.
Public-sector AI systems will be assessed against requirements covering interoperability, data protection, cybersecurity, sustainability and local skills transfer.
The framework is also intended to reduce dependence on individual technology vendors and strengthen Ghana’s control over critical digital infrastructure and data.
The initiative forms part of Ghana’s eight-pillar National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which seeks to promote phased adoption of AI across key sectors, including finance, agriculture, fisheries, education, health and communications.
The government is also linking the strategy to investments in AI infrastructure and digital skills development.
Planned investments include an AI Compute Centre and upgrades to the National Data Centre, while the government’s One Million Coders Programme has recorded more than 141,950 registrations.
According to the Ministry, the various initiatives will be supported by a forthcoming 10-year National AI Delivery Framework, which is expected to guide the implementation of the national AI strategy and Ghana’s engagement with international technology partners.
The centralised review mechanism is expected to provide government institutions with a common technical standard for assessing AI solutions while helping to strengthen data protection, cybersecurity and long-term digital sovereignty.