Ghana Minister launches Code4Food Security Fellowship to drive digital innovation in agriculture

By:  Robert Kwaku Annor

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has launched the Code4Food Security Fellowship in Accra, describing the initiative as a critical intervention aligned with Government’s digitalisation and national development agenda.

The Fellowship was officially launched at the Ghana–India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE). Speaking at the event, the Minister said the programme fits into Government’s vision of building a productive, inclusive and technology-driven economy under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama.

Hon. Nartey George noted that digital innovation, data science and artificial intelligence are increasingly central to economic growth, food security and national security. He emphasised the need to deploy digital solutions across strategic sectors, including agriculture, logistics, climate monitoring and food systems, to enhance resilience and efficiency.

He highlighted recent efforts by the Ministry to integrate early warning systems into the Ghana Meteorological Agency’s platform, enabling the use of reliable data to support planning and informed decision-making. According to the Minister, the growing link between food security and national security makes initiatives such as the Code4Food Security Fellowship both timely and strategic.

The Minister also linked the Fellowship to the Government’s flagship One Million Coders Programme, which seeks to equip young people with foundational and advanced digital skills in areas such as data science, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. He explained that programmes like Code4Food demonstrate how beneficiaries of large-scale digital training initiatives can transition into specialised fellowships, innovation pathways and enterprise development.

Hon. Nartey George described the Fellowship as a strategic partnership that complements Government efforts to deepen the adoption of artificial intelligence, strengthen public-private collaboration and position Ghana as a regional leader in responsible and applied digital innovation.

He expressed appreciation to all partners supporting the initiative and reaffirmed Government’s commitment to scaling digital skills development, supporting innovative ecosystems and ensuring that technology directly contributes to Ghana’s development priorities.