She said it was crucial to proactively protect digital spaces from the harmful effects of disinformation, misinformation and various forms of cybercrime, which could go a long way to erode public trust and individual safety.

Madam Addo made the appeal in her keynote address at the Sixth Annual Ghana School on Internet Governance (GhanaSIG) Fellowship for 2025 in Accra.

The fellowship is a capacity-building programme organized by E-Governance and the Internet Governance Foundation for Africa (EGIGFA) to train individuals in Internet Governance (IG).

The fellowship includes online learning and a week of face-to-face training sessions.

This year’s event was on the theme “Beyond Access: Building Trustworthy, Inclusive and Open Internet for all”.

Madam Addo said internet governance deals with the collective processes through which decisions and policies concerning the development, operation, and use of the internet were made.

She reiterated that it involves a complex mixture of stakeholders, including governments, private companies, civil society, technical experts, and international organizations, which must be participatory, rights-based, and globally coordinated.

“A good governance regime requires collaboration from governments, civil society, and the private sector, A good example of such collaborative effort include the increased access to the internet and digital technologies and the opportunities they present for social and economic development,” the Director said.

She noted that in today’s geopolitical spaces, for example, governments and legislatures use the internet for diplomatic purposes.
She said internet governance also includes the development and application of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programs that shape the evolution and utilization of the internet.

Adding that, this includes the management of critical internet resources such as domain names and IP addresses, the establishment of protocols and standards, and the formulation of policies on cybersecurity, data protection, and content regulation.

This, Madam Addo said, was relevant in the light of the challenges that the almost unfettered access to information that the internet gives.

Touching on the theme for the event, Madam Addo said beyond providing access to the internet, it was also important to put in measures to protect the users in the space, with special emphasis on those in vulnerable groups; for instance, at the moment, globally, 33 per cent of children below the age of 18 were on the internet.

She said according to the United States National Centre for Education Statistics, 91.2 per cent of children between the ages of three and 18 use the internet, of which 89.3 per cent assessed it at home.

Madam Addo said here in, Ghana 90.5 per cent of children aged eight to 17 had access to the internet; adding that the average age of first-time users was from 12 years and below and that 45.7 per cent of the children use smart phones and 21.6 per cent use laptops or computers.

She said market women, farmers, as well as rural dwellers use the internet daily for business and pleasure.

“So obviously, the internet presents many positives. The positive effects include educational advancement, skill development, social connectivity,” she said.

“There are, however, many negatives and these include exposure to inappropriate content, cyber bullying and online exploitation, addiction and reduced wellbeing, privacy and security risk.”

Madam Addo said the fear of exclusion due to absence from the internet space could lead to anxiety, while prolonged use also results in sedentary lifestyles which result in certain diseases.

Rev Raymond Mamata, the Founder and President, EGIGFA, said at this year event, as usual, they selected 52 participants including 12 from abroad and 40 within Ghana among 430 applicants.
He said some notable additions to this year’s fellowship were that they had introduced several awards and the winners would be announced on the last day of the programme.

To the participants, Rev Mamata said the event was a great opportunity for them to learn about internet governance and to engage; declaring that “we hope you make good use of the opportunity and contribute your quota to enriching the internet which belongs to all of us”.

Dr Felicia Nkrumah Kuagbedzi, Acting Coordinator, ICT, Communications and Knowledge Management, Association of African Universities (AAU), said at the AAU they were steadfast in their efforts to advance internet development, both within Ghana and across the African continent.