Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful

The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, says the incumbent government is poised to use ICT to transform the newly created regions.

Speaking at the 3rd Girls in ICT event held at Akyerensua in the Ahafo Region, the minister hinted on a monitoring mechanism employed by her ministry to ensure the tools given and the knowledge impacted are utilised for the intended purpose.

“We are focusing on the new regions so not to leave anyone behind. We shall follow up to ensure the skills acquired are put to good use,” she said.

Under the theme; Access and Safety, this year’s girls in ICT is looking at access to internet for girls and the safety of users.

The best 100 girls were presented with laptops and certificates. The best 20 girls will have fully furnished ICT laboratories established in the schools.

The legislator noted the STEM education site at Akrodie, a suburb of Goaso, will be used to advance ICT studies for many that will like to pursue their interest in the field of Science, Engineering and ICT.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful also hinted that more computer laboratories and Rural Telephony Sites are being constructed to enhance the voice and data connectivity for the rural folks in the region.

However, she reminded the people to register their SIM cards before July to avoid it being blocked.

“We are not going to extend the deadline for registration of the SIM cards again because the deadline has been extended already, make sure you register by the end of July because we want to use that to fight cybercrime in the country. I am appealing to all of you to get a Ghana Card and use it to register, otherwise you’ll lose your card either for voice or data services,” she warned.

Regional Minister for the Ahafo Region, George Yaw-Boakye, in his welcome address expressed gratitude to the Ministry for considering such a young region as part of beneficiaries for the Girls in ICT initiative.

He eulogised Mrs Owusu-Ekuful for her great work towards ensuring that ICT education is spread across the country and bridging the digital gender gap.

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