The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP), has raised concerns over cybersecurity vulnerabilities within organisations, emphasizing the urgent need for AI readiness and cost-saving IT reforms.
Speaking at a stakeholder session on Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness for selected Ministries, held today at the Ministry of Finance, he revealed that recent cyberattacks had targeted multiple government portals, with attempts made to manipulate HR databases.
He attributed these breaches largely to poor personal cyber hygiene, such as logging into official email accounts on unsecured public devices. He announced plans to collaborate with the Cyber Security Authority to enforce stronger security protocols, enhance user training, and ensure compliance with national standards.
On the AI agenda, the Minister outlined a phased rollout targeting five priority Ministries – Finance, Interior, Lands and Natural Resources, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and his own Ministry – with AI solutions tailored to each institution’s operational needs.
He stressed that AI deployment would be preceded by assessments of each institution’s digital maturity and would be designed to reduce inefficiencies, digitize workflows, and cut operational delays.
The deployment, he noted, would require data standardisation and full utilisation of Ghana’s National Data Centre.
Highlighting cost-saving measures, the Minister cited the success of centralised licensing arrangements with Microsoft, which have already saved the country tens of millions of dollars. He disclosed that similar consolidation of enterprise software contracts was planned to eliminate wasteful spending.
On infrastructure, he announced that the National Data Centre is due for an upgrade to meet current and future hosting demands. Funding discussions with the Ministry of Finance are ongoing to ensure timely completion of the project.
The meeting also reviewed the summary of the National AI Strategy and identified use-cases for the five pilot ministries, with implementation slated for 2026. The Minister encouraged the Ministry of Finance to allocate a dedicated budget line for AI deployment in the 2026 fiscal year.
Source; News Desk
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