• Ghana’s Communications Minister met Meta VP Kojo Boakye to discuss digital inclusion, innovation, and cybersecurity
  
  
• Talks highlighted potential collaboration leveraging Meta’s AI expertise and popular platforms in Ghana
  
  
• No formal agreement or project announced; discussions remain at an early stage

Ghana is exploring potential partnerships with U.S. tech giant Meta Platforms (Meta) to bolster its digital sector following discussions last week between Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George and Meta's Vice President for Public Policy in Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey, Kojo Boakye.

The talks centered on how Meta could support Ghana's digital growth, specifically in areas such as digital inclusion, innovation, and cybersecurity. "Given Meta’s expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and modern technologies and the popularity of Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in Ghana, the Minister explored opportunities for cooperation in these fields, similar to Meta’s collaborations with other countries," the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technologies and Innovation said in a statement released Friday.

The Meta meeting coincided with discussions with Ecobank Ghana, focused on promoting digital inclusion, financial technology, and innovation, underscoring the government's emphasis on collaborative efforts.

March alone saw Minister George engage in digital cooperation talks with Germany, Italy, Turkey, Israel, fiber company CSquared, Deloitte, the Regional African Satellite Communications Organization (RASCOM), and UNESCO, among others.

Ghana scored 0.6316 out of 1 on the 2024 e-Government Development Index, ranking 108th globally out of 193 nations. While surpassing West African and African averages, Ghana remains below the global benchmark, indicating a need for enhanced development in human capital and online services, where it scored 0.5586 and 0.6084, respectively.

Despite the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) citing Ghana as a global cybersecurity model in its "Global Cybersecurity Index 2024," the nation recognizes the necessity for further progress, particularly in capacity development.

Meta has expressed openness to supporting Ghana's digital transformation goals. However, discussions remain preliminary, with no agreements signed or announced, and no specific projects yet defined.

By Isaac K. Kassouwi,

Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji