Hafiz Toyyib, Country Director of the Africa Center for Digital Transformation, has lauded the upcoming One Million Coders Programme as a positive and strategic move towards enhancing digital literacy among Ghanaian youth.
Speaking on ABC In The Morning on Friday April 11, 2025, Toyyib expressed optimism about the initiative’s potential while also urging policymakers to expand the programme’s content and coverage over time.
“We are happy to see that positive steps are being made in the actualization of this policy,” he said, referring to the government’s broader digital agenda. “There has to be a serious look at this project. We hope that as it advances, it will be reaching to more places and each and everyone will benefit from the project as well.”
The One Million Coders Programme—set to officially launch on April 16, 2025—is spearheaded by the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations.
The initiative aims to equip one million young Ghanaians with digital skills in coding, web application development, and digital marketing. It will initially roll out across four regions: Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono, and Upper East, targeting 150,000 participants in its pilot phase with a focus on gender parity and inclusivity in both urban and rural communities.
Toyyib emphasized the need for a broader set of training modules. “We also think that there could be more done in the picked modules. We hope to see that as the program evolves they will broaden the modules,” he noted, suggesting that a more comprehensive curriculum would ensure diverse career opportunities for participants.
On concerns raised about the training’s five-week duration, he defended its feasibility. “We believe that five weeks, if done properly, they could be able to achieve the basic stuff. Technology is ever-evolving, so at every point in time, you need to update yourself, yet you need to get the basis—and that is what they will be giving,” Toyyib explained.
The government has committed GH¢100 million to the programme and is partnering with global organizations including MTN Group. A standardized curriculum designed by the Ghana Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT will guide the training, ensuring consistency across beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
Minister of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, who announced the programme earlier this week, underscored the initiative’s role in positioning Ghana as a digital talent exporter. He also highlighted efforts to support digital inclusion, including affordable internet, targeted subsidies, and a Data Cost Pricing Committee tasked with making mobile data more accessible.
Prospective participants can apply via the programme’s official portal: www.onemillioncoders.gov.gh.
The One Million Coders Programme stands as a flagship effort in Ghana’s digital future, and voices like Toyyib’s add a crucial layer of civic engagement in shaping it for long-term success.
