Stakeholders call for investment in ICT for job creation
Stakeholders in Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the Upper West Region have called on individual and corporate investment in technology to create jobs for teeming unemployed youth in the country.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Mr Issahaque Serikpera Naa, the chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Yison Tech Hub, a non-governmental organisation in Wa, said investing in technology would lead to economic growth and also link the country to the international market.
MrNaa stated this on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting by the DeutscheGesellschaft Fur InternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ)and Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) Ghana in partnership with Yison Tech Hubat,Wa.
The engagement which was on theme “Promoting Digital Transformation to Drive Employment and Economic Empowerment in the Upper West Region,” created the platform for stakeholders to discuss opportunities, barriers, strategies, and policies for transforming the local economy through mobile applications and technology in general.
The CEO said investment in technology and digital innovation would generate inclusive economic growth, create employment and bridge the digital divide.
He stated that the outcome of the engagement would feed into the development of a policy document that would inform training of the youth in technology and digital marketing in the region.
He explained that for businesses to gain traction in today’s digital environment, there was the need for online presence in order to create awareness and attract a larger market.
“Going forward, there is the need for smart policy interventions which are responsive to change to fully capture potential gains in productivity and economic growth,” he said.
Mr Naa announced that the organisation in partnership with GIZ had engaged women and girls in the region on digital skills acquisition, such as effective use of internet and mobile applications.
He advised the youth to venture into the use of technology for job creation and encouraged entrepreneurs to patronise digital platforms to market their products and services world.
In a speech delivered on his behalf, the Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, acknowledged that investing in technology would help create jobs for the teeming youth in the region, considering the fewer available job opportunities in the public sector.
He said the role of the private sector such as Yison Tech Hub was very critical to the development and training of the youth in the digital space and encouraged them to extend their activities to the youth in deprived communities to ensure everyone was brought on board.
FROM RAFIA ABDUL RAZAK, WA
