One Million Coders Programme at KNUST: Government proposes a shift from 1st to final-year students

The government is shifting its One Million Coders Programme (OMCP) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) from first-year students to final-year and third-year students.

This is aimed at equipping graduates with job-ready digital and artificial intelligence skills before graduation.

The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam George, says the adjustment is intended to close the gap between training and employment, ensuring students can immediately apply their skills as they enter the job market.

Speaking during a working visit to the OMCP centres in KNUST, the Minister announced plans to provide the University with an additional 2,000 laptops to expand access to the programme and strengthen its implementation.

The government had earlier supplied 500 laptops to support training centres at the University.

"If a Level 100 completes the programme today and decides not to do anything between Level 300 and 400, by the time they are leaving the university, there is a lag between the training and the implementation," he said.

He added that the government was working with a team from Harvard University to conduct a skills gap analysis to ensure the training reflects the needs of employers and the evolving demands of the artificial intelligence industry.

The Minister also called on universities and traditional authorities to take the lead in developing Ghanaian artificial intelligence language models, warning that indigenous African languages risk being marginalised if AI systems are developed without adequate local knowledge.

He said KNUST was well-positioned to lead the development of AI language models for Twi, given its location in the Ashanti Region and the role of traditional authorities in preserving local languages and cultural knowledge.

"Ghana must build the capacity to develop its own language models rather than depend entirely on foreign institutions that may not fully understand the country's linguistic nuances," Sam George maintained.

The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Christian Agyare, welcomed the government's commitment to moving from policy formulation to implementation, assuring the minister that the university had the expertise and infrastructure to support the programme.

"The university has already enrolled about 1,444 participants in the training and the proposed shift towards third and fourth-year students as a practical approach to preparing graduates for the job market is laudable," Professor Agyare said.

He added that the university was taking steps to ensure the laptops provided were properly managed and that students without personal devices could access the programme through designated university centres.

According to him, the university also has the technical expertise needed to support the training and intends to distribute the additional laptops across its various centres to facilitate participation.

"The initiative is aligned with efforts to reduce unemployment by equipping students with skills that could enable them to create opportunities for themselves after graduation."

The One Million Coders Programme is part of the government's broader drive to expand digital skills training and prepare young people for opportunities in the digital economy.