UMaT receives 200 laptops under Ghana’s One Million Coders Programme

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa has received 200 laptops under the Government of Ghana’s One Million Coders Programme (OMCP), marking a key milestone in efforts to expand digital skills training across tertiary institutions.

The laptops were presented during a ceremony held on April 10 at the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, as part of a nationwide initiative aimed at equipping young Ghanaians with coding and digital competencies for the global job market.

UMaT is among the institutions selected for the first phase of the programme, alongside the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and University of Cape Coast, which are expected to serve as training hubs.

Speaking at the event, Samuel Nartey George, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, said lessons from the pilot phase have informed a more structured national rollout focused on delivering practical, job-ready skills.

Under the first phase, the programme will operate in 130 learning centres across all 16 regions, each equipped with customised laptops configured for coding instruction. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with key agencies including the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications, Ghana Digital Centres Limited, and the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.

The Minister emphasised that the programme is designed not only to train large numbers of participants but to ensure that beneficiaries acquire practical digital skills that translate into employment opportunities.

UMaT’s participation is expected to enhance training in specialised areas such as computer science, cybersecurity, robotics, artificial intelligence, and information systems, positioning students to take advantage of opportunities in software development and remote digital work.

The laptops were received on behalf of the university by Dr Emmanuel Effah and Dr Felix Larbi Aryeh, heads of the Computer Science and Engineering Department and the Cyber Security and Information Systems Department respectively.

The One Million Coders Programme forms part of Ghana’s broader digital transformation agenda, with participating institutions playing a central role in developing a future-ready and globally competitive workforce.