Accra: Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, the Overlord of the Wala Traditional Area, has commended the government for its commitment to bridging the digital divide and promoting inclusivity through the Girls-in-ICT (GIICT) initiative. He described the initiative as a laudable step towards ensuring equal opportunities for girls in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

According to Ghana News Agency, Naa Pelpuo expressed his appreciation when Mr. Mohammed Adams Sukparu, Deputy Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, paid a courtesy call on him as part of a monitoring visit to the region. The visit formed part of activities ahead of the climax of the Girls-in-ICT training programme in the Upper West Region, scheduled to take place at the Fanco Hospitality in Wa on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

The GIICT programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation (MCDTI) in collaboration with the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC). It seeks to equip girls with digital skills and empower them to participate competitively in an increasingly technology-driven world. It also aims to inspire young girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

As part of the visit, the Deputy Minister and his team, including Dr. Rashid Tanko Computer, Chief Executive Officer of GIFEC, toured some training centres under the GIICT programme in the region. ‘The initiative carries enormous promise for the empowerment of the girl-child. For our nation to invest in technology education for girls gives us strong hope that the future will continue to be brighter for Mother Ghana,’ Naa Pelpuo said.

The Wa Naa also congratulated Mr. Sukparu on his appointment as Deputy Minister and expressed gratitude to the President for appointing capable sons and daughters of the Upper West Region to serve in his government. He assured the President of the continuous support of traditional authorities towards the government’s development agenda.

On his part, Mr. Sukparu said the GIICT programme was a national initiative aimed at bridging the gender gap in technology by training and equipping girls across the country with essential ICT skills. He noted that the government recognised the need to ensure girls were not left behind in the digital era, revealing that about 1,000 girls across all eleven districts of the Upper West Region had undergone training under the initiative.

Mr. Sukparu further disclosed that the best 100 girls from the training would each receive a laptop computer, while the best three schools from each district would receive fully furnished computer laboratories from GIFEC. The Deputy Minister expressed gratitude to the chiefs and people of the region for their continuous support to the President Mahama-led government, and pledged the government’s commitment to expanding ICT infrastructure and access, particularly in underserved communities.