Library and technology hub commissioned at Akim Oda

Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has commissioned a library and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Hub at Akim Oda in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern region.

The library is named after the mother of Mrs. Ursula Owusu Ekufful, Minister of Communications and Digitilisation.

Speaking at the event at St. Andrews Anglican school, Dr Bawumia stated that the project was the result of a collaborative effort of several organisations, stating that the true knowledge acquired through education would become more valuable to societal development and advancement if a country is to develop.

He said it was behind this philosophy that the government had invested much in Free Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) and Free Senior High School (Free SHS).

He said there would now be parity between boys and girls in senior high school and that free senior high school education had made it possible for 400,000 children to enroll, who were previously unable to do so owing to financial difficulties.

The initiative was supported by the Ghana Library Authority, MTN Ghana, Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications, and Huawei Ghana.

The facility, which bears the name of Ursula Owusu Ekufful, is named after her mother, “Christina Akua Brago Diawuo Library and Tech Hub,” and powered by artificial intelligence.

Mrs. Ekufful expressed her gratitude to everyone who had helped make the project possible.

She urged the children to utilise all available digital resources, such as e-books and robotics, to realize their goals and objectives.

Mr. Hayford Siaw, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Library Authority, said ICT applications were a major force in today’s world, and encouraged students to utilise the library effectively in both elementary and secondary institutions, as not everyone has a private study space at home.

He said ICT had a favourable impact on economic growth, productivity, and employment, and that the implementation of policies that support the extent of adoption and application of technology determined a country’s ability to develop and improve the lives of its citizens.

High-income countries had reaped enormous benefits from ICT and Internet penetration, while middle-income countries like Ghana were just getting started.

ICT has been responsible for transforming economies all over the world, including Ghana and the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) was established in 2004 to bring electronic communications to underserved and unserved communities in Ghana.

Since its inception, GIFEC has provided innovative solutions to ensure Universal Access and Digital Inclusion in the most remote parts of the country, as well as to all marginalized communities.

The Chief of ODA Nkwanta, Nana Gyanfi II, who represented Nana Akua Asantewaa II, praised the vice president, stating that there were no computers during his education, but now there was a library and a tech Hub for the people of Oda/Kotoku and its environs.