By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced that government is developing a new Data Protection Bill to strengthen Ghana’s legal framework in response to artificial intelligence, automated decision-making and cross-border data flows.
Speaking at the Data Protection Conference 2026 in Accra, Mr. George said Ghana must move beyond expanding digital services and focus on building a deliberate and resilient digital architecture anchored on trust.
He noted that work is underway to reform legislative and institutional frameworks for data protection, with the objective of strengthening enforcement, clarifying international data transfer rules and enhancing citizens’ rights.
The Minister stressed that compliance with the Data Protection Act is both a legal obligation and a moral duty, warning that organisations that have not registered with the Data Protection Commission must do so without delay.
He disclosed that government will soon issue a policy directive to the Commission to ensure strict compliance and impose fines on institutions that fail to adhere to the law.
Mr. George also revealed that Ghana is advancing a data harmonisation initiative to reduce fragmentation and align standards across financial services, telecommunications and the public sector.
According to him, strong data protection should not be seen as a barrier to innovation but rather as a competitive advantage as Ghana positions itself as a regional hub for fintech and digital services.
