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The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has assured the youth that the government is working towards reducing the cost of data to increase participation in the internet space.
He said access to internet in the country had risen from 32 per cent when the government came into power to 73 per cent presently, adding that the goal of the government was to have above 99 per cent internet penetration within the next four years.
Dr Bawumia gave the assurance at the Pentecost Convention Centre at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region yesterday, as part of activities to commemorate the International Youth Day (IYD).
The Vice-President said he intended to have an agreement with telecommunication companies under which they would be given offers to reduce the price of data.
“We are championing bringing down the cost of data very seriously for all of us to benefit from this because we need access,” he added.
The National Youth Authority (NYA) organised the event, in partnership with the UN and the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) on the theme: “From clicks to progress: Youth digital pathways for sustainable development.”
Participants were youth from all the 16 regions, as well as other youth organisations.
He said one of the key initiatives he would implement when he is elected President would be to train one million youth in digital skills to participate fully in the fourth industrial revolution.
Dr Bawumia said by training the youth in digital skills, the government would be opening job opportunities for them both within and outside the country.
“Once you have the digital skills you can be here and be working in any part of the globe.
“If you have the skills and training, you do not necessarily have to have a university degree. As long as you can read and write, we can train you to be digitally literate,” the Vice-President said.
Dr Bawumia, who is also the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the forthcoming elections in December this year, further observed that the digital divide remained a significant barrier to progress and, therefore, said it was the responsibility of the government to bridge that gap.
“One of our greatest challenges is to ensure that every young person regardless of his or her background has access to the tools and resources needed to thrive in the digital age,” he said.
The Vice-President, however, advised the youth to use technology wisely, ethically and purposefully.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, lauded the works of the NYA and said the impact of its work resonates across the continent and not only in the country.
He called on all to support the digitalisation efforts of the government, saying “let us try to digitise and modernise our economy”.
Mr Ussif also called on the youth to go beyond mere digital engagements to harness the full potential of technology for continuous development.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NYA, Pius Enam Hadzide, said the theme was to highlight the significant connection between digitalisation and the acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The conference, he added, would explore how the youth were leveraging digital technologies to bring about positive change, and also examine the roles of policymakers, educators and industry leaders in creating an enabling environment for young people to thrive.
