Ghana's National Information Communication Technology (ICT) Policy seeks to develop guide the country's ICT-led socio-economic development efforts, Nii Nortey-Duah, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport, said on Wednesday.
He said this would move the country's economy towards a knowledge based information society in the shortest time.
Nii Nortey-Duah made the observation at the third graduation and technology fair of Intercom Programming and Manufacturing Company (IPMC), an
IT training institution, in Accra.
About 188 students graduated, five of them received degrees in various IT programmes, 42 in Diploma in Computer and Business Studies and 141 in other IT disciplines.
Nii Nortey-Duah said ICT was by far the most advanced vehicle for transporting knowledge, information and data across the globe.
He said the country was still making increasing efforts to enhance the teaching and learning of ICT as a subject in all basic, primary and secondary levels nationwide.
"All these planning phases are youth-focused because the youth are the natural candidates when it comes to skills training and maintenance in ICT infrastructure and capacity building at the grassroots", he added.
Nii Nortey-Duah noted that introducing ICT in second cycle and tertiary institutions were indicative of government's efforts to integrate ICT into all sections of the educational system.
He said government through the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFE) intended to provide ICT equipment and internet connectivity to all the 10 Regional libraries and 10 mobile libraries across the country.
"Government as part of its commitment in promoting an all inclusive information and knowledge society to benefit the underserved rural areas continues to sustain the construction of community information centres in all constituencies", he said.
Nii Nortey-Duah announced that GIFEC had inaugurated mobile libraries to enable the derived communities had access to educational materials and thereby enhance their learning capabilities.
Dr Kofi Amoah, Chief Executive Officer, Citizen Kofi, an entertainment group, in a motivational message, urged the students to research to empower themselves with requisite knowledge and tool for planning to succeed.
He said the challenges confronting the country was to produce more 'brain soldiers' rather than 'foot soldiers' that could help in developing the country's economy.
Dr Amoah said "success and failure depends on time and planning but urged them to plan ahead in accomplishing the driven goals in future."
Mr Amar Deep Hari, Chief Executive Officer of IPMC, said there seemed to be an abundance of basic IT skills in the country and demand was now
moving towards advanced IT skills.
He said the institute had introduced project management course for students to enhance their knowledge in project management and in addition,
get them complete each project satisfactorily to improve on their market value.
"Keep in mind that success in IT and other professions comes through 'Never Stop Learning Principal", Mr Hari added.