By Michael Kofi Kenetey
The Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has noted that the government is investing hugely in education because of the critical role it plays in the socioeconomic development of every country.
The Vice President was speaking during the commissioning of an ultra-modern Christiana Akua Brago Diawuo Library and Digital Technology Hub at Akim-Oda in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The Ultra-Modern Christiana Akua Brago Diawuo Library and Digital Technology Hub was built by the Minister of Communication and Digitization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, in honour of her mother, Madam Christiana Akua Brago Diawuo.
This was part of marking her 80th birthday. The ultra-modern library built for the Oda Anglican Basic School at Akim-Oda Old Town comprises a library, Information and Communication Technology, ICT lab, conference room, and robotics centre.
The facility will serve as a learning hub for the Attafuah Senior High Technical School, Oda Senior High, New Abirim Senior High School, Oda Methodist Basic School, and all schools in and around the Akim-Oda environs.
In commissioning the lab, the Vice President, Dr. Bawumia, opined that the world is going through a digital transformation and there is a need to provide the youth with digital training and education. Hence, the project by Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful is relevant to the learning and training of the youth.
The Minister of Communication and Digitization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful reiterated that education is key to development, and the little she can do to provide for the young ones in the community that brought her up is by putting up the hub to honour her mother.
She encouraged the young ones to take advantage of the hub to acquire digital skills and knowledge.
The Executive Director of Ghana Library Authority, Hayford Siaw, noted that since the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo came to power, the government had commissioned 55 libraries within a period of six years. He said, this and many other things, such as the Free SHS and TVET education, show that President Akufo-Addo’s government is committed to education in Ghana.
The Administrator of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication, GIFEC, Prince Owusu Sefah, noted that since the establishment of GIFEC in 2004, it has provided innovative solutions to ensure Universal Access and Digital Inclusion in the remotest parts of the country and to all marginalised communities in Ghana through three main programme areas: Infrastructure Development, Equipment and Resource Provision and Capacity Building.
He noted that their Cyberlabs Programme is aimed at improving access to ICT by providing ICT equipment to schools, institutions and communities.
