Business

Select Committee on Information, Communications visits Ghana Digital Centres Limited

Members of Parliament from the Select Committee on Information and Communications have visited the Ghana Digital Centres Limited (GDCL) to evaluate its operations.

The visit formed part of efforts to explore how the facility can further strengthen Ghana’s digital innovation ecosystem.

The delegation, led by the committee chairperson and MP for Bunkpurugu, Bandum Lamangm Abed-Nego, toured key facilities including MLAB, IHUB, and several Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms operating within the Accra Digital Centre. The October 3 visit provided lawmakers with firsthand insight into how the centre supports digital entrepreneurship and job creation.

Welcoming the delegation, Chief Executive Officer of GDCL, Dzifa Gunu, outlined both the successes and challenges of the centre. “The Ghana Digital Centres have so much potential,” he said. “It’s a ten-year building which needs maintenance and renovation, but beyond infrastructure, we’re also grappling with inadequate funding for our programs and projects. The demand for office space is outweighing our current supply, we have limited collaboration with other government agencies, and we lack the vehicles needed to support the centre’s operations effectively.”

He appealed for greater support from government and development partners, noting that expanding the model to other regions could create thousands of new opportunities. “With support from government and donor partners, the centre can replicate the same Accra Digital Centre model in different regions, thereby creating jobs and opportunities for the Ghanaian people,” he said.

Business Development Manager, Edward Aikins, also shared key performance figures, revealing that GDCL currently operates at an occupancy rate of over 60%, with more than 60 tech companies hosted on site. “We’ve created over 3,000 digital and ancillary jobs through ICT and BPO firms operating at the centre,” he stated, adding that over 500 startups have received incubation support and 10,000 youth have benefited from digital training programs.

Mr. Aikins further highlighted partnerships such as GODEP with Oracle, the MASHAV cooperation with Israel and Germany, and TDIP, a national initiative linking universities with Ghana’s digital ecosystem. He also recommended that GDCL be assigned oversight of Regional Digital Centres and that special economic zones be developed to support BPO operations.

Committee Chairperson Bandum Lamangm Abed-Nego, after touring the facility, commended GDCL’s impact and urged greater economic integration. “The products from the incubator programme should be exported,” he said. “Gari and other local products, well packaged, can be exported to London, for example, therefore giving the people more opportunities.”

The parliamentary team included Charles Owiredu Asuako, Alhassan Umar, Djabab Kofi Nelson, and Matthew Nyindan. GDCL works with partners such as the World Bank, JICA, GIZ, MTN, Telecel, ITU, and leading universities including KNUST, Academic City University, and the University of Ghana.