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Digital skills to be a requirement in entrepreneurship – Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
The Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has hinted that Ghana is moving towards a direction where digital skills will be required in all forms of entrepreneurship and vocational fields.
According to her, the use of ICT tools will be made available to students at all levels in order to prepare them for the anticipated future.
Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful added that government would ensure that more rural areas are connected to some form of ICT through the support of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC).
“ICT will be needed in all fields of work that we are doing as a people. The world is moving at a much faster rate that even if you want to be a mechanic, you will need ICT and digital education. ICT will push us in whatever work we want to do after school so let’s take the ICT training very serious from here. Government will do its best to equip you and make available ICT centres in most parts of the country so that we can all benefit from the internet revolution,” she said.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful was speaking at the Mentorship Day for students in the Bono East Region who are participating in this year’s ‘Girls in ICT’ initiative.
The ‘Girls in ICT’, which is an initiative by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and enhanced by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, is aimed at enhancing girls’ skills in the field of information communication and technology.
The Mentorship Day event is part of initiatives by the Ministry to expose girls to women mentors in the ICT industry.
Under the theme: ‘Access and Safety’, the event is expected to train about 5,000 girls from basic and second cycle institutions in the five regions which have been selected this year. The regions are Bono East, Bono, Ahafo, Savanna and Northern.
The mentors from academia, health and business used the occasion to encourage the girls to take advantage of the programme to further their education in computer science and other ICT education.
The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation also made a passionate appeal to their teachers to support the students in the chosen career of ICT.
On her part, a lecturer at the Department of Chemistry at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Dr Mercy Badu, used the platform to sell the idea of science and technology to the girls.
She advised them to take their education seriously and focus on the goal of becoming career champions in their various fields since the world is moving in that direction.
“Be a strong person in whatever you want to do in science because it is one of the fields that help in solving problems in society – work hard towards it and you can achieve whatever dream you have in ICT,” she advised.
The programme for the Bono East Region will climax on Thursday, April 21, 2022, with a grand durbar after which the team will move to the other four selected regions.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
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Youth urged to take proactive stance on ozone depletion
•Mr Joseph Amankwah, first counting from, some officials from EPA and UNDP in group picture with the student
Mr Joseph Amankwah, the Director of Ozone Layer and Climate Change at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has urged the youth to take a proactive stance on issues related to ozone depletion, emphasising that their future would be most affected by its consequences.
Speaking during a student engagement event at the Ghana Secondary School (GHANASS) in Koforidua, he highlighted the critical role young people played in tackling climate-related challenges.
Mr Amankwah explained that human activities, such as the use of certain chemicals, were significantly contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer and driving climate change.
He said it was important to educate the youth on these issues, encouraging them to share this knowledge with their families to foster a broader understanding and active participation in climate action.
He urged the education sector to integrate lessons on the ozone layer, the causes of its depletion, and its links to climate change into the curriculum.
The event, organised by the EPA in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was designed to foster environmental awareness and promote a sense of responsibility among young people.
Mr Amankwah noted that ozone layer depletion was affecting everyone, including children, as it alters weather patterns and threatens the natural environment.
He highlighted the need for young people to develop ‘green skills’ to adapt to the challenges of climate change and to understand ways to combat it.
He added that World Ozone Day, observed every September, would focus on youth engagement in environmental issues, to help them understand the long-term consequences of ozone depletion and climate change.
Mr Amankwah also discussed the harmful impact of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a major chemical contributor to ozone depletion.
He explained that household appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners were common sources of CFC emissions in Ghana.
Many uncertified technicians work on these appliances, often releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere due to improper handling, he noted.
To address this, he urged appliance repairers to obtain proper certification and training, emphasising that unqualified repairs not only harm the environment but also endangered public health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman,
Koforidua
