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Ghana National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025 to 2035

Ghana's National AI Strategy 2025 to 2035, launched on 24 April 2026. Its eight pillars, the planned Responsible AI Authority and what it means for governance.

Ghana's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025 to 2035 is the government's roadmap for AI, prepared by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, approved by Cabinet and launched by the President on 24 April 2026. It sets eight pillars, from AI education and infrastructure to data governance and public sector adoption, and aligns with the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI. For governance, it recommends an independent Responsible AI Authority in its first year, a National AI Office, upgrading the Data Protection Commission to an Authority, and transparency reports for public-sector AI systems. It does not itself impose obligations on organisations.

What it is

The Republic of Ghana National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025 to 2035 is the government’s plan for building and using AI. The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations prepared it, and the document is dated December 2025. Cabinet approved it, together with a national AI computing centre, and President John Dramani Mahama launched it in Accra on 24 April 2026.

Its vision is “Ghana 2035: The AI-Powered Society”. It builds on the Ghana Integrated Digital Transformation Blueprint, the Ghana Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and the ICT for Accelerated Development policy, and it states that it is aligned with the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, which Ghana adopted in 2021.

Who it applies to

The strategy directs government ministries, departments and agencies, and sets out roles for the Data Protection Commission, the Cyber Security Authority, the National Information Technology Agency, academia, the private sector and development partners. It does not place legal obligations on private organisations. Its actions for the public sector, such as data protection compliance for government AI projects and transparency reports for public-sector AI systems, will reach suppliers to government through procurement.

What it requires

The strategy is built on eight pillars.

  • Expand AI education.
  • Empower youth for jobs of the future.
  • Deepen digital infrastructure and inclusion.
  • Facilitate data access and governance.
  • Coordinate a robust AI community ecosystem.
  • Accelerate AI adoption across sectors.
  • Invest in applied AI research.
  • Promote AI adoption in the public sector.

The governance content sits mostly in the data access and governance pillar and in the implementation plan. It includes

  • disseminating guidance on trustworthy, safe, secure and ethical AI to developers and adopters;
  • making sure all government AI projects comply with national data protection and handling rules;
  • transforming the Data Protection Commission into a Data Protection Authority with regional offices, through enabling legislation;
  • introducing mandatory transparency reports for all public-sector AI systems, detailing data sources and system impact, and a Bias Mitigation Fund to support testing on Ghana-relevant data;
  • a data governance checklist for ministries, departments and agencies;
  • establishing a National AI Office to oversee AI policy, implementation and inter-ministerial coordination; and
  • considering mandatory insurance for high-risk AI-generated outputs, and applying a soft, guideline-based regulatory approach.

The strategy recommends an independent Responsible AI Authority, established in the first year, to lead implementation. Its preliminary activities include an agenda for legislative enablement, cross-sectoral regulatory alignment and operational standards, quarterly monitoring of the strategy, and participation in global AI governance forums. The Data Protection Commission may act as an incubator while the Authority forms.

Key dates

  • December 2025. Date on the strategy document.
  • 1 April 2026. The government announces that Cabinet has approved the strategy and a national AI computing centre.
  • 24 April 2026. The President launches the strategy in Accra.

How it relates to other frameworks

The strategy is a development plan with a governance layer, closer to the national strategies that sit behind the OECD AI Principles than to a regulatory framework. The binding rule for AI in Ghana remains section 41 of the Data Protection Act 2012, and the draft Data Protection Bill 2025 would add explainability, contestability and human oversight duties for technology-driven decisions. The transparency reports and bias testing the strategy proposes for public-sector AI are the kind of work an AI governance framework already organises.

A note on this page

This is Aicura’s reading of Ghana’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. It is not legal advice and it is not the strategy itself. Read the strategy as published by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations.

Last reviewed 18 October 2026. This page explains the framework to support your governance work. It is not legal advice; read the official source for the authoritative text.

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Questions

Is Ghana's National AI Strategy binding?

No. It is a government strategy approved by Cabinet, not legislation. It sets direction and actions for ministries and agencies, and recommends new institutions and laws, but it does not itself place obligations on organisations. The Data Protection Act 2012 remains the binding rule for AI that processes personal data.

What is the Responsible AI Authority?

An independent, well-resourced body the strategy recommends establishing within its first year to lead implementation, coordinate institutions, monitor progress and develop an agenda for legislative enablement and regulatory alignment. The strategy suggests the Data Protection Commission could incubate it while it builds capacity.

What are the eight pillars?

Expand AI education, empower youth for jobs of the future, deepen digital infrastructure and inclusion, facilitate data access and governance, coordinate a robust AI community ecosystem, accelerate AI adoption across sectors, invest in applied AI research, and promote AI adoption in the public sector.

Does the strategy propose an AI law?

It points towards one without drafting it. The Responsible AI Authority's first tasks include an agenda for legislative enablement and cross-sectoral regulatory alignment, the implementation table calls for a National AI Office with a legal mandate, and the strategy recommends a soft, guideline-based regulatory approach to avoid stifling innovation.

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