The Ghanaian government has introduced a new directive requiring all artificial intelligence (AI) systems purchased by public institutions to undergo a centralized technical review. This move aims to protect citizens' data and reduce the country's reliance on foreign vendors. The review will be coordinated by the Ministry for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, with the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) leading the technical assessment of proposed deployments.
The technical review will assess AI systems against a set of criteria, including interoperability with existing government systems, data protection, cybersecurity, environmental and financial sustainability, and the transfer of technical skills to local staff. This evaluation process is designed to ensure that AI systems deployed in the public sector align with Ghana's data sovereignty and domestic technical capacity goals.
The new directive is part of Ghana's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which was launched in 2025 and runs until 2035. The strategy identifies key sectors, such as finance, agriculture, and healthcare, for phased AI adoption. The government is also investing in an AI Compute Centre and upgrades to the National Data Centre, as well as running the One Million Coders Programme, which has already recorded over 141,950 registrations.
The introduction of the technical review mechanism is intended to work alongside existing public procurement laws, rather than replace them. This means that agencies will still need to follow standard procurement processes, but with the added requirement of technical approval from the Ministry and NITA before contracts are signed. The goal is to ensure that the government has greater oversight and control over AI systems used in the public sector.
The directive is aimed at addressing concerns about the storage, processing, and control of personal and institutional data held by government agencies. By requiring upfront vetting on data protection and cybersecurity grounds, the government hopes to avoid situations where critical public data flows through systems over which Ghana has limited oversight.
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, announced the policy at the US Embassy AI Forum in Accra. He emphasized the need for Ghana to strengthen its data sovereignty and domestic technical capacity, and to reduce its dependence on individual technology vendors. The new technical gatekeeping mechanism is expected to play a key role in achieving these goals.
While the directive is a significant step towards regulating AI adoption in the public sector, some details remain unclear, including the exact start date for the technical vetting process and potential penalties for institutions that bypass the process. Additionally, it is unclear how the mechanism will interact with existing procurement bodies, such as the Public Procurement Authority.
Key points
- The Ghanaian government has introduced a centralized technical review for AI systems purchased by public institutions to ensure data protection and reduce reliance on foreign vendors.
- The review will assess AI systems against criteria including interoperability, data protection, and cybersecurity.
- The directive is part of Ghana's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which aims to promote AI adoption in key sectors while ensuring data sovereignty and domestic technical capacity.
