One Million Coders: Sam George Says 50,000 Training Slots Reserved for PWDs
The government has reserved 50,000 fully funded training slots for persons with disabilities (PWDs) under the national One Million Coders Programme, in a major push to expand digital inclusion and equip PWDs with internationally recognised ICT skills.
This was announced by the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George.
The allocation, he said, is intended to correct the minimal participation of PWDs recorded during the pilot phase, where only nine out of 859 trainees were persons with disabilities.
The minister added that the new quota will ensure broader and fairer access as Ghana accelerates efforts to build an inclusive digital economy.
Announcing the initiative at the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Sam George, said the slots would be shared across all 16 regions to guarantee equity.
He added that the Ministry was working with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) to identify qualified beneficiaries.
“This allocation is to ensure that PWDs are not left behind in Ghana’s digital transformation agenda,” he said.
The IDPD commemoration was jointly organised by the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the GFD.
The One Million Coders Programme, launched by President John Dramani Mahama in April, aims to train one million Ghanaians over four years in coding, cybersecurity, data analytics and related digital skills.
Although implementation was expected to begin immediately, Mr George explained that rollout had been delayed to secure internationally recognised certifications from Google, Microsoft, and Cisco. He assured that the programme would commence early next year.
“These globally accepted certificates will enable PWDs and other beneficiaries to qualify for remote jobs with international companies, which often do not accept local certificates,” he noted.
The Minister highlighted progress in inclusive education, ICT accessibility guidelines and digital public services, but said many PWDs still faced barriers due to the high cost of digital tools. To address this, he announced plans to enforce accessibility standards across all government digital platforms and to work with the NCA and telecom companies to increase affordability through concessionary data packages and inclusive customer service systems.
He commended the NCA for beginning talks with device manufacturers to ensure that all mobile devices imported into Ghana meet minimum accessibility standards by 2026.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening disability-inclusive policies and expanding access to assistive technologies. She revealed that the review of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006, was nearing completion and would soon be submitted to Cabinet.
She added that the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project had recently procured desktops, laptops, accessibility software and braille devices for seven special schools to boost digital literacy among students with disabilities.
Deputy Director of Technical Operations at the NCA, Suleman Salifu, outlined the Authority’s efforts to improve digital accessibility, including the development of the Accessibility-Based Applications Project (ABAP) to adapt the NCA’s digital platforms for users with visual, auditory and motor impairments. He said the Authority remained committed to prioritising the needs of vulnerable groups in line with Act 769.
President of the GFD, Joseph Atsu Homadzi, welcomed the government’s decision to allocate 50,000 training slots, describing it as a crucial milestone in removing digital barriers for PWDs.
“This commitment marks a significant step toward breaking digital barriers for persons with disabilities. We look forward to effective implementation that delivers real opportunities,” he said.
Source: GNA
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