Ghana's rapid embrace of digitalisation has not translated into significant local ownership of the underlying technology. The country is spending billions of GHS on digital systems, yet a critical question remains unanswered: are Ghanaians building this technology?
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector recorded an impressive 20.2% growth in 2025. This growth significantly outpaced Ghana's overall economic expansion of 6.0% in the same year. Despite these encouraging figures, there is no clear national data on the economic value generated by Ghanaian software developers and locally developed digital products. This lack of data makes it difficult to assess how much of the digital economy Ghana truly owns.
This situation highlights a broader economic challenge for Ghana. While the nation is keen to modernise its services and infrastructure, the current approach risks making it a digital consumer rather than a digital producer. The economic value from digital systems, software licenses, and technology consultancy often flows outside the country. This trend could hinder the development of a robust, self-sufficient local tech industry. Ghana's digital transformation must deliberately aim for digital production to secure long-term economic benefits.
Experts argue that Ghana's digitalisation programme should be viewed as an industrial policy for the digital age. Mawuli Dzodzome Agbenorto, writing for MyJoyOnline News, states, "The next battle is not digitalisation. It is digital ownership." He emphasises that while international expertise is necessary, the focus must shift to building Ghanaian technological capability, companies, and intellectual property. This strategic shift would ensure that public expenditure on digital projects directly contributes to domestic capacity building.
The implications are significant for Ghana's economic future and technological sovereignty. Without deliberate policies, Ghana risks becoming a highly digitised country without becoming technologically productive. Decision-makers must implement procurement policies that convert public spending into domestic technological capacity. This means asking critical questions about local employment, knowledge transfer, intellectual property ownership, and the percentage of contract value remaining in Ghana for every major digital project.
Ghana possesses a wealth of technological talent across universities, tech hubs, and startup communities. Young Ghanaians are actively developing applications, payment systems, and various digital solutions. However, this talent needs a supportive ecosystem to thrive. Developers require access to markets, startups need customers, and technology companies need capital. Government, as the largest buyer of digital services, holds a powerful position to foster this ecosystem.
A proposed solution is the development of a comprehensive Local Digital Content and Software Development Framework. Such a framework would establish measurable targets for local participation in public-sector digital procurement. This goes beyond simply measuring whether a Ghanaian company won a contract. It would assess the actual local value created, considering factors like local developers employed, local software development, and local intellectual property.
For instance, an international company winning a major government technology contract could be required to include meaningful participation from qualified Ghanaian firms. This could involve local software development, technology-transfer programmes, and training for Ghanaian engineers. It could also include local technical documentation, Ghana-based maintenance, and partnerships with local universities. The goal is not to exclude foreign companies but to ensure that foreign investment enhances Ghana's technological capabilities. This approach would strengthen Ghana's digital economy and create sustainable, high-value jobs for its citizens.