Ghana plans to link 48 government databases to plan with evidence, not promises
Communications minister Sam George says a national data exchange, alongside a $250m AI computing centre, would let budgets be built on "hardcore data at the click of a button".
Accra — Ghana is building a national data exchange hub to connect 48 data registries across government, so that development spending follows evidence rather than political promises, the minister for communication, digital technology and innovations, Sam George, has said, according to MyJoyOnline.
Much government data now sits in separate systems that cannot easily be analysed together. The hub would let institutions share information across sectors, helping policymakers see which communities need what.
The finance minister, George said, should be able to build a budget on "hardcore data at the click of a button" rather than sentiment. He gave a hypothetical example: a community asks for a road, but health data show its maternal mortality is 12% above the national average, so a maternity ward might do more good.
Part of a bigger AI plan
- The hub is meant to work alongside a proposed national AI compute centre, for which $250 million has been committed to the first phase. It is intended to serve Ghana and other African countries.
- George sees uses in agriculture, where satellite and weather data could support extension services and forecasts, and in simpler, standardised digital public services.
No date has been given for the hub to be fully working, nor a separate cost. George will speak on the Joy Digital Economy Forum, "AI and the Ghana Economy: Opportunity or Disruption?", broadcast on JoyNews and Joy 99.7 FM on Wednesday, 21 October, at 8pm.
Source: MyJoyOnline, reporting by Emmanuel Dzivenu, 18 October 2026.
