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Deputy Minister reiterates government's commitment to ICT development

By GNA
Science Deputy Minister reiterates government's commitment to ICT development
MAY 28, 2017 LISTEN

Accra, May 28, GNA - Mr Vincent Sowah Odotei, a Deputy Minister of Communications has expressed government's commitment in creating a digital literate community.

He said it was therefore, important to equip the youth with Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills and exposed them further to a digital way of life in order to become active players in the digital world.

Mr Sowah Odotei made the pledge in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the Ghana Code Day, a technology workshop in Accra.

The event, sought to help La Dade-Kotopon Elementary schools kids to learn the basics of computer programming.

The goal of the programme, which is being organised by the Ghana Code Club and its partners, was to scale out more schools, community centres and libraries through the help of the government, non-governmental organisations and corporate institutions.

Mr Odotei, who is also the Member of Parliament for the La Dade-Kotopon, noted that the world was being driven by technology as such it was important that the younger generation did not only became consumers of technology, but producers, where they could be exposed more to ICT enabled products.

'So today's event is the beginning of that exposure where children between the ages of eight to 16 will be introduced to the rudiments of computer programming, to be active in the technological world, produce ICT products and as well have careers," he added.

The Deputy Minister, who described the initiative as a sustainable project in his constituency and across the country said his Ministry's policy was to re-develop the Community Information Centres (CIC).

He said there were 194 CICs across the country and in all districts, and they would equip such centres with the hardware, equip them with the connectivity and train volunteers to ensure that policies and universal access and digital literacy would be realised.

Ms Celestine Otitsuan, a pupil of Saint Maurice Roman Catholic Junior High School, told the GNA that she was excited about how to draw and paint and create games using computers.

Mrs Ernestina Edem Appiah, who is the co-winner of the "2016 Tigo Digital Change-Makers Competition" remarked that research showed that the global shapers of the world including Steve Jobs and Bill Gates all got exposed to computer programming at a tender age.

Mrs Edem Appiah, who doubles as the Founder of the Ghana Code Club said the body believed that every good idea and passion could come out live to solve a lot of problems in the community today.

She explained that when kids were exposed early to digital creativity, they would grow not only to become computer programmers or professional coders but become critical thinkers and global shapers in all fields.

The Founder appealed to corporate institutions to support the Club's activities particularly in the area of devices and internet connectivity, as it planned of extending its service, nationwide.

The event which was sponsored by EPP Book Services and Tigo; preceded with the first coding lesson with Scratch programming software, and was climaxed with a web design workshop, animation lessons and interactions with established technology partner organisations.

GNA

By Iddi Yire, GNA

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