One million coders: Government gives KNUST 2,000 laptops; shifts focus to level 300 and 400 students

Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations has presented an additional 2,000 laptops to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as part of a strategic overhaul of the government’s flagship One Million Coders Programme to target level 300 and level 400 students.

Samuel Nartey George, ​the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, announced the equipment boost and policy realignment during a working visit to the university as part of tour to monitor the Rural Telephony project and the One million Coders Programme in the Ashanti Region.

The new consignment brings the ministry's total device support for KNUST to 2,500 laptops, expanding the university's network of dedicated learning hubs to 15 centres across campus.

​Under the original Service Level Agreement (SLA) with KNUST, the programme primarily enrolled first-year students.

However, following a curriculum review conducted alongside international experts and a crash programme at Harvard University, he said the ministry decided to refocus training on students preparing to enter the workforce.

​"If a level 100 student completes the programme today and decides not to do anything between level 200 and 400, by the time they are leaving the university, there is a lag between the training and implementation," Hon. Sam George explained, adding, "If we focus this training on our level 400s and 300s, then we are beginning to prepare them for the world of work as they graduate."

​The minister added that the government is collaborating with a team from Harvard to conduct a global skills gap analysis.

Courses will be tailored directly to market demands, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) and practical digital capabilities.

​The addition of 2,000 laptops, he said, aims to ensure sufficient access for the university’s graduating cohorts across multiple campus facilities.

The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof Christian Agyare, expressed appreciation for the visit and the laptop donation, commending the ministry for recognising KNUST as a key strategic partner.

​"The angle that you have brought in—targeting those who are about to leave at level 300 and 400—is an excellent idea that we have to take on board," Prof Agyare noted, confirming that KNUST is ready with faculty experts and facility infrastructure to execute the updated model.

​Providing a breakdown of the initiative's current standing, Prof Jerry Job Kponyo, Director at the Office of Grants and Research (OGR) and Coordinator for the Coders Programme at KNUST, reported that 1,447 students have enrolled across four primary university nodes.

​Enrollment breakdown across the university shows 804 students in the Department of Computer Science, 265 in the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 258 in the Responsible AI Lab, and 120 in the Faculty of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering.

​Of the enrolled students, he said,195 have fully completed their modules, with several others progressing through hybrid, online, and self-paced tracks.

​Prof Kponyo emphasised the broader socio-economic context, pointing out that with Africa's median age sitting at 19, equipping youth with market-ready digital skills is vital to curbing unemployment.

He added that campus hubs, including the multipurpose lab, library mall, College of Engineering lab, main ICT center, and the Obuasi campus, stand ready to expand seating capacity to meet national targets.