The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has announced plans to establish a trust fund for the Girls in Information and Communication Technology (Girls-In-ICT) programme to ensure its sustainability.
Speaking at the Girls in ICT Climax Day in Koforidua on Tuesday, the Minister said the trust fund aims to institutionalise the initiative beyond her tenure.
She invited the Education Ministry, MTN, Vodafone and others to be anchor members.
“The future is digital and women are integral to it. The Girls in ICT programme must continue,” she emphasised.
The Ministry intends to expand the programme to three more regions and subsequently cover the entire country.
The Minister urged parents to encourage girls to learn and pursue ICT careers, indicating the programme started in 2012.
At the climax event, the top three competitors won cash prizes of GHC3,000, GHC2,500 and GHC2,000 and laptops. About 100 other participants also received laptops.
Guest of honor Rev Dr Joyce Aryee encouraged the beneficiaries to stay determined and build on their acquired skills.
Deputy Education Minister, Mrs Gifty Twum Ampofo, commended the effort to champion digitalisation in schools, noting almost all institutions now have internet because of the rural telephony initiative.