GIFEC CEO Rashid Tanko Computer says one million coders programme is free and non-political

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Rashid Tanko Computer, has described the government’s One Million Coders Programme (OMCP) as a free, non-political initiative aimed at equipping Ghanaians with digital skills to participate effectively in the digital economy.

He said the programme was designed to provide opportunities for all Ghanaians to upgrade their knowledge and skills, regardless of their political affiliations.

Mr. Tanko Computer made the remarks during an interaction with journalists at the Adaklu-Kpetsu Rural Telephony Project site in the Volta Region, as part of a two-day Rural Telephony and Digital Infrastructure Tour.

The tour, undertaken alongside the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, was intended to inspect telecommunications infrastructure and digital learning centres in the region.

According to the GIFEC Chief Executive Officer, the programme is open to all Ghanaians, with the Ghana Card serving as the only qualification required to participate.

“Education has no political colours. It is about upgrading yourself, and it is for you,” he said, urging the public to take advantage of the opportunity.

He stressed that the digital skills acquired through the initiative would remain valuable regardless of which political party was in power, as technology and digital literacy continued to shape the future of work.

To illustrate the programme’s non-partisan nature, Mr. Tanko Computer cited the participation of an opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) polling station chairman among trainees at Agortime , saying it demonstrated that the initiative did not discriminate on political grounds.

He also disclosed that universities in Ghana had expressed interest in adopting the programme as part of their courses, a development he said could further expand access to digital skills training.

Mr. Tanko Computer encouraged journalists and the general public to enrol in the programme, emphasising that digital knowledge was increasingly essential for personal development, employment and national progress.

The One Million Coders Programme is a flagship government initiative designed to equip Ghanaians with coding and other relevant digital skills to support the country’s digital transformation agenda.