The Minister for Communications has commissioned an Information Communication Technology (ICT) Laboratory at New Century Career Training Institute in Dansoman in the Ablekuma West Municipality.

The ICT Centre forms part of the broader vision of the President's initiative to intensify ICT education in the country as well as encourage the youth to participate in the technology world.

The Centre is meant to train and make ICT skills and techniques common to everyone, leaving no one behind.

Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications, commissioning the Centre said the capacity building was the most important component of digitization and the need to equip institutions with the requisite tools to train students to gain the required knowledge relevant to technology in the society.
She called on the public to make the use of technology a necessity and utilize the skills in the various programmes.

She reiterated the government's commitment to making ICT easily accessible to all communities in the country.
The Minister, therefore, advised trainees and the public to observe the safety protocols, whenever, they visit the Centre to avoid the spread of the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Abraham Kofi Asante, the Administrator of Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) said ICT had been a driving force in the world for the past decades.

He said it was the main catalyst for development in most countries in recent years.

He said the digital divide was not just about connectivity but also people's lack of knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a digital economy.
"Lack of skills is the greatest barrier to digital inclusion, especially for people living in unserved and underserved communities," he added.
The Administrator said the United Nations Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has called for 60 per cent of youths and adults to have minimum proficiency in sustainable digital skills by 2025.

Mr Asante said the importance of ICT Centres could not be overemphasised in this COVID-19 era.
"Internet and ICT facilities are critically needed to facilitate online learning, business processes and human interactions," he said.
He said, another essential element of ensuring that all students acquire the requisite skills to explore the digital world was to build the digital competencies of teachers to effectively utilize these ICT Centres.

"No one would be left behind," he added.
Madam Rita Gyening, the Manageress of the Institution, explained that the existing ICT Laboratory Centre became active when Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC) donated 20 computers in 2010.

She said the institution received 15 computers, a printer and a projector which would help residents live in a technology-dominated environment.
Madam Gyening gave the assurance that the equipment would be put to good use to serve the purpose of which they were donated.