Let’s embrace 1million Coders Programme towards fourth industrial revolution

 Africa’s enduring poverty gap—Ghana included—is deep­ly rooted in the continent’s historical exclusion from global technological revolutions. While the First Industrial Revolution of the 18th century reshaped the economic fortunes of Eu­rope and America, Africa was left behind.

And though Asia and South America also missed that initial wave, they gradually built tech­nological capacity and secured roles in the second and third industrial revolutions. Africa, however, continued to lag.

Technology has always been the engine of industrial growth and countries that have pros­pered economically and polit­ically are those that embraced and developed technology tailored to their peculiar needs.

For Africa to catch up, the continent must seize the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution—defined by artificial intelligence, digitisa­tion, automation, and advanced connectivity.

A powerful example of Afri­ca’s struggle with value creation lies in the global cocoa industry. Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire produce about 66 per cent of the world’s cocoa.

Meanwhile, countries like Germany, the United States, Switzerland, and Belgium dominate 65 per cent of global chocolate production. In 2024 alone, Germany earned $23.6 billion from chocolate sales, with the U.S., Switzerland, and Belgium generating $20 billion, $14 billion, and $10 billion respectively.

Combined, these four nations earned over $56 billion from just one cocoa-derived prod­uct—more than the combined annual budgets of the four lead­ing cocoa-producing African nations.

This stark contrast highlights the cost of Africa’s failure to industrialise. However, a new opportunity is emerging—and Ghana appears ready to em­brace it.

President John Dramani Mahama’s launch of the One Million Coders Programme is a bold and timely step.

The initiative seeks to train one million Ghanaian youth in various digital skills, particularly coding, to position them for jobs in the digital economy. It reflects a visionary shift toward a knowledge-based, innova­tion-driven society.

More than just a jobs pro­gramme, this initiative aims to equip Ghana’s youth to solve local challenges through tech­nology.

It represents a deliberate move toward building an econo­my that is not only future-ready but also resilient and self-suffi­cient.

As President Mahama rightly stated at the recent Kwahu Business Forum, the future of business is digital, green, and inclusive.

While the Coders Programme deserves commendation, it must be part of a broader national agenda. Ghana needs a compre­hensive approach to developing indigenous technology, foster­ing innovation, and promoting research.

Only then can the country build a strong industrial base and compete globally.

The Fourth Industrial Rev­olution presents Africa with a rare second chance. Missing this opportunity would not only set back Ghana’s progress—it would spell long-term conse­quences for the entire conti­nent.

We therefore call on govern­ment, private sector, civil soci­ety, and the youth to support this vision. The digital future is here. Ghana must lead—not follow.