In a milestone event buzzing with optimism and ambition, Ghana today officially opened the 2025 Africa Internet Summit, marking 30 years since the country first connected to the global Internet. The opening ceremony, held in Ghana’s capital, blended a reflection on the journey so far with bold visions for Africa’s digital future.
Minister Samuel Nartey George, the country’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, delivered the keynote, recalling Ghana’s early forays into connectivity in 1995 despite severe infrastructure limitations. Over the past thirty years, the nation has charted significant digital milestones — from launching the Ghana Internet Exchange to hosting multiple submarine cables and nurturing a growing tech ecosystem of startups, data centres, innovation hubs, and broadband networks.
Yet, the minister was quick to note that the true triumph lies not in hardware or cables, but in the people: “It is the young coders, network engineers, and entrepreneurs who are the heartbeat of Ghana’s digital revolution.”
Still, he admitted challenges remain — uneven access across regions, prohibitive costs, gaps in digital literacy, and rising cyber risks — and insisted that overcoming these is vital for equitable growth and African digital sovereignty.
He also lauded institutions such as the National Communications Authority (NCA), Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Ghana Domain Name Registry, National Information Technology Agency (NITA), and the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC) for their roles in extending connectivity to underserved communities.
Looking forward, Minister George outlined five priority areas to guide Africa’s digital trajectory:
- Enhancing intra-Africa connectivity to break reliance on external routing
- Shifting from being mere consumers of technology to becoming creators
- Retaining digital value within the continent through open-source and AI frameworks
- Powering connectivity with renewable and reliable energy
- Balancing innovation with fair competition and consumer protection
He tied these ambitions to Ghana’s “24-Hour Economy” agenda, asserting that digital public services, e-commerce, telemedicine, and online education should enable citizens to transact, work, and learn around the clock.
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Reflecting on the Past, Confronting the Present
Three decades ago, Ghana’s Internet access was nascent and precarious. Today, the country boasts a much more diversified and robust digital ecosystem — yet the journey has not been uniform.
The Ghana Internet Exchange (GIX), established in 2005, improved local traffic routing and helped reduce latency and costs. Subsequent years saw multiple submarine cable landings, fuelled expansion in mobile broadband, and growth in data infrastructure serving both public and private sectors.
But despite those gains, inequality in access persists. Rural and remote areas still lag behind urban centres in connectivity. Many Ghanaian households and small businesses contend with steep Internet costs and intermittent service. Meanwhile, a lack of comprehensive digital literacy programmes means large segments of the population remain ill-equipped to harness the Internet fully. Cybersecurity threats are also escalating, adding yet another barrier to confident digital adoption.
In his address, Minister George was candid about these constraints — arguing that they are not insurmountable, but demand collective resolve and partnership across governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society. He insisted that the promise of an inclusive digital future will only be realised when no community is left behind.
Digital Sovereignty, Local Innovation, and Africa’s Future
A recurring theme at the summit is digital sovereignty — Africa’s ability to own, control, and benefit from its own Internet infrastructure, data, and platforms, rather than being perpetually dependent on external systems and providers.
To that end, the minister urged a shift from tech consumption to creation. He encouraged African developers, researchers, and enterprises to leverage open-source frameworks and local AI models, thereby retaining value within the region.
Powering this digital future is no small task. Ghana — and Africa at large — must adopt more reliable and sustainable energy solutions to support data centres, telecom infrastructure, and always-on services.
Minister George also underscored the importance of openness with safeguards. Innovation should have room to thrive, but not at the expense of fairness or consumer protection. Effective regulation, cybersecurity norms, and responsible competition must go hand in hand with technological advancement.
A Call to Action: From Connectivity to Capability
Ghana’s hosting of the 2025 Africa Internet Summit at such a symbolic moment — the 30-year anniversary of its first Internet connection — is more than ceremonial. It is a call to action for the entire continent.
For Ghana, it’s an opportunity to share lessons, showcase progress, and galvanise partnerships. For Africa, it is a moment to recommit to closing the access gap, nurturing homegrown innovation, and asserting greater autonomy over digital futures.
As Minister George put it: “Let us turn connectivity into capability, and capability into opportunity.” In the months ahead, the real work begins — translating high ideals into policies, investments, and projects that deliver real, inclusive impact on the ground.
If Africa succeeds, the next thirty years could well define a new digital era led from within.
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