Ghana inaugurates first Advanced IT Institute

Ghana's first Advanced Information Technology Institute (AITI) - the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) was inaugurated in Accra on Tuesday.

The Centre would be an Information Communication Technology (ICT) hub in the West Africa Sub-Region, where training and technological solutions would be offered to Ghanaians, with particular emphasis on tailor-made skill for industries and businesses.

The 13 billion cedis Centre is a co-operation between the Indian and Ghanaian governments.

President John Agyekum Kufuor, who inaugurated the Centre, said it was a monument between the two countries and that could help Ghana to leap frog into the advancing world of technology.

He said the Government's communications policy was to adopt a very comprehensive ICT that would link all senior secondary schools (SSS) with broadband Internet connectivity.

President Kufuor announced that India had agreed to increase the number of training of trainers in ICT from 30 to 60 and commended the Indian Government for the kind gesture.

Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a satellite message at the inauguration said the Centre would serve to build strong bond of friendship between both countries and promote their aspirations for true democracy.

Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Communications, said it was the Government's desire that the centre would be a true centre of excellence in ICT, adding" the future of the country's ICT is very bright".

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in August 2002 in New Delhi between Mr Felix Owusu Agyapong, former Minister of Communications and Technology for Ghana and Mr Pramod Mahdjan, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of India.

It was during the four-day State visit to India by President Kufuor, who witnessed the signing ceremony with the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Under the agreement, India would provide the latest state of the art computer hardware such as servers, desktops printers and scanners.

Others are software and communication equipment such as routers, switches and other equipment required to set up the Centre.

India would in addition train ICT trainers from Ghana, help in the design of the curriculum for teaching of ICT in both schools and colleges.

Ghana is providing the infrastructure and administrative and technical staff.

The facilities at the Centre include an auditorium with the capacity for 250 people, four acoustic computer laboratory with a sitting capacity of 45 people each, a boardroom, offices, reception, library, co-operate conference room and a snacks bar.