By Alex Ababio
The Divided Connection:
A Story of Two Ghanas
In Accra, 17-year-old Sandra streams educational videos seamlessly to prepare for her WASSCE exams. Meanwhile, in Zabzugu, 16-year-old Musah climbs a tree each evening, phone in hand, hoping to catch a faint network signal.
“Sometimes I sit on the tree for hours just to check my results or join class on WhatsApp,” Musah shares.
This stark contrast isn’t merely about internet access—it’s about who controls Ghana’s digital future
The Backbone of Power: Who Owns the Internet in Ghana?
Ghana’s internet infrastructure is dominated by a few major telecom players. As of January 2023, MTN held a commanding 67% market share in voice subscriptions and 75% in data subscriptions. Vodafone and AirtelTigo trailed with 18% and 14% in voice, and 13% and 11% in data, respectively.
Chinese tech giant Huawei has been instrumental in building and maintaining significant portions of Ghana’s 4G infrastructure.
Dr. Kwabena Boamah, a telecom analyst, cautions, “We are becoming too dependent on foreign tech providers. They own the routers, the servers, and sometimes, even our government’s cloud storage.”
“It’s like renting your house from someone who can walk in anytime,” he adds.
An NCA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed, “Some contracts between the government and Huawei are not public. Even we regulators don’t have all the details.”
Documents obtained confirm that Huawei manages the e-Government platform and the National Data Center. The Ghana.gov portal is hosted on Amazon Web Services, a U.S.-based platform.
Who Gets Left Behind? The Digital Exclusion Zones
As of 2023, 69.9% of Ghana’s population used the internet. However, disparities persist: urban internet uptake stands at 80%, while rural areas lag at 54%.
Teacher Mavis Adjei from Krachi East shares, “I’ve not been able to submit our school’s reports online for months. The internet is either too slow or not there at all.”
“Sometimes we drive to the next town just to send a simple email,” she laments.
The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) has initiated the Rural Telephony Project, aiming to provide network access to 2,000 communities by 2026. However, progress has been sluggish.
“Digital access should be a right, not a privilege,” asserts Dorothy Gordon, former head of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan ICT Centre.
Digital Sovereignty or Dependency? Ghana’s Tech Handshake with the World
In 2021, Ghana signed a $200 million deal with Huawei for rural broadband expansion, with no local companies involved in the infrastructure development.
In 2023, the National Identification Authority (NIA) admitted to using Chinese servers to store Ghana Card data. Following public backlash, it announced a move to local servers.
“It’s dangerous to allow foreign governments indirect access to our national identity systems,” warns Estonian cyber governance expert Liisa Eensalu. “Estonia built its system on trust, transparency, and local control.”
The African Union also cautioned member states in 2022 to be wary of ‘digital colonization’ by foreign tech giants.
Political Power in the Digital Age
Digital systems in Ghana are not just technical—they’re political. The country’s biometric voter system, SIM registration, and national ID programs collect vast amounts of citizen data.
“We have too many databases, and they don’t talk to each other,” notes Dr. Kweku Addo, a data governance researcher. “But worse, citizens have no idea who controls their data.”
A leaked report from 2022 indicated that political parties accessed voter data illegally during campaigns. The Electoral Commission did not deny the breach.
“There is no real punishment for abusing citizen data in Ghana,” says Cynthia Asare, a digital rights lawyer. “Our Data Protection Commission is underfunded and toothless.”
Voices from the Ground:
Asho, a farmer in Bongo, shares: “The government introduced an app for fertilizer registration. But we can’t download it. The network doesn’t even work here.”
Ama, a university student in Kumasi, adds: “I feel like our future is being built without us. We’re just users, not decision-makers.”
Kofi, a tech entrepreneur in Takoradi, says: “Startups can’t compete when the whole digital space is controlled by giants from China, the US, and South Africa.”
What Other Countries Are Doing Better
Kenya: Through its Universal Service Fund, Kenya has connected over 1,000 rural schools with solar-powered internet. M-Pesa has made digital finance inclusive.
Estonia: Citizens control their digital identities and know who accesses their data. Government systems are built on open-source software.
South Africa: The government mandated that 30% of all digital infrastructure projects be awarded to local tech firms.
Solutions: Building a Fairer Digital Future
Experts suggest the following steps:
1. Open Contracting: All tech deals must be public. Citizens must know who’s building what.
2. Data Sovereignty: Host national data locally. Build Ghana’s own cloud infrastructure.
3. Digital Inclusion: Expand community networks and fund local innovation hubs.
4. Law Reform: Strengthen the Data Protection Act and make breaches punishable.
5. Public Involvement: Let citizens have a say in how digital policies are made.
“It’s not too late to fix this,” says Dorothy Gordon. “But we must act now.”
The Road Ahead
Ghana stands at a digital crossroads. Will technology be used to empower all, or will it become a tool for control?
“The digital space should belong to the people,” says Kofi. “Not just to companies or politicians.”
The time to reclaim it is now.