Telecel Ghana has launched the Ashanti Codes initiative in Kumasi as part of efforts to promote digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) education among young people in the Ashanti Region.
The 12-week programme brings together students from Kumasi and Obuasi, with 70 percent of participants being girls, to acquire practical coding and digital technology skills.
At the launch, students showcased innovative projects including driverless vehicles, smart toll gates, and obstacle-avoiding systems.
Speaking at the event, External Affairs Director of Telecel Ghana, Komla Buami, emphasized the importance of equipping young people with digital skills to prepare them for the future.
“At Telecel, we believe that if we are able to equip our young ones and grow with it and also have it as part of their skills, it will be a part of them,” he said.
Mr. Buami further disclosed that the Telecel Foundation is training teachers to become digital skills trainers in their respective schools, in addition to its existing partnership with the Ghana Library Authority.
He added that the foundation will also provide standard kits aligned with the Ghana Education Service curriculum to make teaching technology more practical and effective.
He encouraged students to take full advantage of the opportunity, noting that about 1,000 beneficiaries are expected to participate in the Ashanti Codes programme across centres in Kumasi and Obuasi.
Ashanti Regional Minister Frank Amoakohene commended Telecel Ghana for complementing government efforts to expand digital education in the region.
“As a government, the Ministry of Communications is also rolling out a similar digital training programme for the youth across all districts in the region. They are targeting about 50 youths per district across 47 constituencies, which brings the total to about 2,300. For Telecel alone to take 1,000 participants and contribute to this effort is commendable,” he said.
He pledged full support for the initiative, stressing the need to prepare young people to contribute to technological advancement.
Board Chair of the Ghana Library Authority, Dr. Michael Essuman, described digital literacy among children as critical to the country’s economic future and urged participants—especially girls—to take the programme seriously.
“The future of our country’s economy is digitisation. Everything happening now and into the future is digitally driven, so you should take it seriously and learn as if your whole life depends on what you do with the Ashanti Codes programme,” he said.
The Ashanti Codes initiative forms part of Telecel Ghana’s broader commitment to empowering young people with digital and coding skills needed to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Fortune names Yellow Card among top global crypto innovators
Sales boy captured on CCTV cameras stealing, jailed 36 months
