According to ghana news agency:ccording to Ghana News Agency, a total of 1,000 girls from basic schools across the region participated in rigorous ICT training, covering areas such as website development, game and animation creation, and coding. Out of these, 100 girls who excelled in the training were awarded laptop computers and certificates. Additionally, the best performing schools in all districts are set to receive fully equipped computer laboratories to ensure continued ICT education for the girls.
The top three performers received cash prizes ranging from GH?2,500.00 to GH?3,500.00, along with plaques and packages from ADB. Furthermore, five individuals, including a hearing-impaired girl and a special needs teacher, were honored with the Minister's Special Awards, which included laptop computers.
Mr Mohammed Adams Sukparu, the Deputy Minister of MoCDTI, highlighted the initiative as a crucial element of the government's digital transformation agenda, aimed at equipping young people, especially girls, with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital economy. He emphasized the importance of engaging more women in ICT-related programmes, citing statistics from the International Telecommunications Union that reveal a significant gender gap in internet usage.
Mr Collins Agyei, Sales Manager at MTN Ghana for the Northern Zone, reiterated MTN's dedication to advancing digital inclusion and reducing the gender gap in technology through ongoing support for the GIICT initiative. MTN has been a significant contributor to the programme, investing over GH?17 million over the past five years.
Dr. Abed Bandim, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Information and Communication, commended the Ministry for maintaining the GIICT initiative and called for enhanced monitoring and evaluation to assess its impact. He encouraged GI-KACE and the Accra Digital Centre to develop practical training models to increase the employability of the girls in the tech sector.
Benita Etornam Dzah, a Junior High School 2 pupil from the Wa Municipality, emerged as the overall winner, with Emma Mwine-Nomah Delaara and Grace Lovia Nkrumah Donkor from the Nadowli-Kaleo District securing second and third places, respectively. Benita expressed gratitude to the MoCDTI, MTN Ghana, and other partners for the opportunity to acquire ICT knowledge.
