951 govt institutions connected with high speed network under eTransform project

The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation through the World Bank financed eTransform project has significantly made strides in enhancing connectivity across Ghana. 

This initiative has revolutionised digital infrastructure, and the potential of ensuring that every corner of Ghana has access to high-speed internet and modern communication tools.

The eTransform Project is a government of Ghana initiative, which is being funded with World Bank support. 

Project implementation started in January 2015. 

The project was restructured by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and the World Bank in January 2018 to re-focus the project for accelerated development objective attainment. 

The project development objective is to improve the efficiency and coverage of government service delivery using information and communication technology (ICT). 

The eTransform Project, a cornerstone of the Digital Ghana Agenda is focused on several key areas.

They are enabling environment for digital Ghana, that e-government and business focusing on policy, regulatory, and institutional capacity building to promote electronic services, support innovation centers, and enhance government data management and support for digitisation and connectivity.

Others are to launch and scale-up of priority digital services and applications in priority sectors where ICT would be utilized to improve health and education services and complete key e-applications as well as Project Management Support to also provide coordination, communication, procurement, financial management, and monitoring to ensure effective project implementation.

The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, emphasised the transformative potential of the ongoing connectivity project. 

"The eTransform Project is a game-changer for Ghana. By improving connectivity, we are not only enhancing access to information and services but also driving economic growth and social inclusion. This project is a testament to our commitment to building a digital economy that benefits all Ghanaians," she said.  

The eTransform Project is funded by the World bank and the project which aligned with global efforts to promote digital inclusion and ensure that developing countries can participate fully in the digital economy closes on June 30, 2024.

Backbone connectivity was extended to 254 District Centers, significantly expanding from the initial 69 centers. This includes crucial systems like the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and the Ghana Revenue Authority's Tax Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS). Last mile connectivity, the most ambitious part of the project, aimed to serve over 2,000 MDAs across the country.

The government network connectivity (Backbone and last mile), with a minimum of 1Gig capacity has been provided to 951 government institutions across the country on a 10-year indefeasible rights of use (IRU) basis. All the planned sites have been connected, validated, and passed Final Acceptance by NITA.