U.S. Trade and Development Agency, C-Squared Africa sign deal to expand affordable digital connectivity in Ghana

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and C-Squared Africa have signed an agreement for a feasibility study on the deployment of fibre-optic cables along Ghana’s existing electricity infrastructure.

The agreement was signed during the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forum 2026, jointly organised by the American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana (AmCham Ghana), the U.S. Embassy in Accra, the U.S. Commercial Service and USTDA.

The forum, held at the Marriott Hotel in Accra on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, brought together government officials, industry leaders and technology partners to discuss Ghana’s AI ambitions under the theme, “AI Deployment and Diffusion: Emerging Opportunities and Supportive Policy.”

The feasibility study is expected to support the expansion of affordable and reliable digital connectivity across the country by exploring the use of existing electricity infrastructure for fibre deployment.

The signing was witnessed by U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Rolf Olson and Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George.

Ghana outlines AI ambitions

Speaking at the forum, Mr George outlined the government’s vision for artificial intelligence under the National AI Strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama on April 24, 2026.

He said Ghana’s approach to AI is anchored in national data sovereignty, local capacity building and talent development.

The Minister also stressed the importance of partnerships that can transfer technical skills and create sustainable value for Ghanaian businesses.

The forum featured discussions on Ghana’s AI infrastructure, market trends, regulation, data protection and public-sector procurement.

The infrastructure panel examined the connectivity, power and data-centre requirements needed to support the country’s AI ambitions, with representatives from ATC Ghana, the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), C-Squared and NEDCo.

A second panel focused on AI adoption among Ghanaian businesses, including the transition from experimentation to wider enterprise deployment.

Participants also highlighted the need for stronger institutional trust and governance, as well as AI solutions developed around Ghanaian data and business realities.

Focus on regulation and public-sector adoption

Discussions on regulation examined how Ghana’s data protection framework could respond to emerging AI-related issues, including consent, cross-border data transfers and automated decision-making.

Representatives from the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Telecoms Chamber participated in the session.

Another panel examined the procurement of AI technologies for public-sector deployment, with the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), World Bank and Ghana Digital Acceleration Project (GDAP) contributing to discussions.

Participants considered ways to simplify public-sector technology procurement and discussed calls for a unified digital platform to make business licensing and regulatory compliance easier.

The forum concluded with remarks from Enid Kanor, Deputy Chair of AmCham Ghana’s Digital Committee and representative of ATC Ghana, followed by a networking reception.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.