Integrating digital tools into education contributes to long-term economic growth. It ensures that the youth – who form a significant part of the African population – are well equipped for the demands of the 21st century economy.
The Government of Ghana on September 17 launched the Ghana Knowledge and Skills Bank portal, a platform that provides free access to educational materials and tutoring services. GKSB aims to improve learning for students from primary to tertiary level as part of Ghana’s digitization efforts to ensure equitable access to quality education.
The Minister of Communications and Digitization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, hailed the GKSB as a milestone in Ghana’s digital transformation, saying “This portal contains valuable information according to the approved curriculum for Ghanaian students. It also provides access to more than 5 million online library records, learning resources and tools.”
As part of the $200 million World Bank-supported Ghana Digital Acceleration Project, GKSB seeks to expand digital infrastructure and educational access nationally, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for inclusive education.
Developed by Npontu Technologies, GKSB is designed to work offline, allowing students in remote areas to download material without needing constant Internet access. It will include educational materials from trusted sources such as Cambridge University Press, Cengage Learning and others. With this launch, Ghana becomes the 2n.d African country after Egypt to implement a national digital education system, strengthening its leadership in digital innovation across the continent.
As of 2024, about 30.2% of Ghanaians (about 10.39 million people) remained offline, with rural communities most affected by this digital divide, according to DataReportal. Without consistent Internet access, many rural students may struggle to engage in online learning opportunities, limiting their benefits from digital education initiatives. This highlights the urgent need to expand digital infrastructure in these areas, as part of projects such as GKSB, which aims to bridge the digital divide and improve access to educational and economic opportunities across the country.
This initiative is expected to play a critical role in raising educational standards in Ghana, aligning with international digital learning platforms and contributing to the country’s growing technology innovation capacity.
Hikmatu Bilali