Government gives 8,500 laptops to One Million Coders training centres

‎The government has given out 8,500 laptops to centres taking part in the One Million Coders Programme. This is part of efforts to improve access to digital skills training across the country.‎‎

Fred Yeboah, Director of Research and Innovation (GI-KACE) and a member of the OMCP Implementation Committee, shared this news during an interview on the Joy Super Morning Show.

He explained that the devices are meant to help trainees who may not own laptops or have reliable internet access.‎‎ “We have already distributed 8,500 laptops,” he said.‎‎

Mr Yeboah made it clear, however, that the laptops are not being given directly to individual participants. Instead, they are going to accredited training centres that run the programme.‎‎

“These laptops are meant for the centres that are used for the training,” he explained.‎‎According to him, all 158 centres currently taking part in the initiative have been given the devices. Internet connectivity is also being set up to support online learning.‎‎

The One Million Coders Programme is a major digital skills initiative by the government. It aims to train thousands of Ghanaians in technology-related fields to help tackle youth unemployment and strengthen the country’s digital economy.

‎‎Mr Yeboah said the programme uses different learning models to suit participants from various backgrounds and locations.‎‎ He explained that some courses are self-paced and can be done using personal devices like mobile phones, tablets, or laptops.

Other courses require trainees to attend designated centres for online or face-to-face teaching.‎‎” For all the 158 centres that I’ve mentioned, all of them have been provided with laptops,” he stated.

‎‎The GI-KACE official added that 16 centres — one in each region — have also been chosen to try out face-to-face instruction with dedicated trainers on site.

‎‎This expansion of digital learning infrastructure comes as more people call on the government to close the technology gap and improve access to practical digital training for young people across Ghana.

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