Francis Val-Neboh urges swift action, emphasizing AI-driven policymaking, local AI development, regulatory enforcement, and talent retention to secure Ghana’s AI future

 March 26, 2025

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just an industry disruptor; it is a governance necessity. Yet, Ghana’s approach to AI remains largely sector-driven rather than fully integrated into national decision-making. 

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Speaking with The High Street Journal, Francis Val-Neboh, CEO of Dobande Technologies and a leading advocate for AI-driven research and policy innovation in Africa, challenged Ghana to move beyond merely adopting AI in various sectors and instead embed it into the country’s governance framework. 

Through his work at Dobande Technologies, he has been at the forefront of leveraging AI to transform large-scale research and decision intelligence, making a strong case for Africa’s AI sovereignty.

For him, the true potential of AI lies not just in its use across industries but in its ability to shape national policies, streamline governance, and drive evidence-based decision-making at the highest levels. “We need to stop thinking about AI as just an industry asset. AI should be at the center of how we govern, plan, and make decisions as a nation,” he asserted.

While Ghana has seen AI adoption in fintech, health, agriculture, and other industries, Val-Neboh argues that these advancements remain isolated. There is no centralized AI-powered governance system that ensures national policies are driven by real-time, interconnected data.

He explained that AI-driven research is happening in different industries, but these insights rarely converge. “We have separate research happening in health, agriculture, finance, and climate, but there is no real unification of data. We are not connecting the dots. How do we plan as a country when one sector is making decisions without data from another sector?” he questioned.

The lack of a coordinated approach means decision-makers are working with fragmented information instead of a comprehensive, data-driven national strategy. He emphasized that without a unified AI-driven research framework, Ghana will continue to struggle with inefficiencies in economic planning and national policy-making.

“In Ghana, everyone is doing their own research and publishing separate reports. The problem is that these reports do not talk to each other. AI should be breaking down silos, allowing us to see real-time relationships between different sectors. Instead, we are still relying on outdated methods,” he said.

In countries like Singapore, AI plays a central role in predicting policy impacts, optimizing national budgets, and automating regulatory oversight. Without a similar framework, Ghana risks falling behind in using AI to streamline governance and improve efficiency. However, the real issue, according to Val-Neboh, is not just that Ghana lacks an AI-driven governance system but that the government has already acknowledged this need and still failed to act on it.

In 2022, Ghana introduced its National AI Strategy, a 10-year roadmap outlining how AI should be developed, adopted, and regulated. A core part of this strategy was the establishment of a Responsible AI Office, a regulatory body meant to oversee AI governance and ensure ethical AI use.

Nearly two years later, there is no clear evidence that this AI governance body has been set up or is even in progress. Val-Neboh questioned why this was taking so long. “Where is the Responsible AI Office? If it was supposed to be established, why hasn’t there been visible progress? Two years is more than enough time to lay the groundwork,” he asked.

The lack of urgency in implementing the AI strategy raises serious concerns. “Without an AI governance structure in place, there is no accountability. Right now, AI adoption in Ghana is happening without regulation, oversight, and clear national direction. This is dangerous because it means anyone can use AI however they want, with no one ensuring ethical compliance,” he warned.

He argued that Ghana’s policymakers must move beyond just drafting plans and start executing them. “We cannot just keep talking about AI strategies. AI is moving at a speed that Ghana’s regulatory framework is not keeping up with. If we don’t act now, we will only be reacting to problems rather than proactively shaping AI for national development,” he added.

Beyond Ghana’s governance gaps, Val-Neboh also raised a major concern about the country’s dependence on AI models developed abroad. He explained that many AI tools used in Ghana are built on Western data, which do not reflect the country’s socio-economic realities.

“When you use AI models trained on Western financial systems, they do not understand how our economy works. When you use AI for healthcare that was trained on non-African data, it may misdiagnose diseases that are more common in Ghana. And when you use fraud detection systems that were not built for our local context, they can end up making unfair predictions,” he explained.

For AI to truly benefit Ghana, Val-Neboh insists that the country must invest in developing its own AI models trained on local data. “AI should not just be something we consume. We need to build AI solutions that reflect our own realities. Otherwise, we are allowing others to dictate how AI influences our economy, security, and policies,” he said.

Even as Ghana struggles to implement its AI strategy, another issue looms large—brain drain in the AI sector. Programs like MTN‘s One Million Coders are equipping young Ghanaians with AI skills, but many trained professionals are leaving for better opportunities abroad.

“We are producing AI experts, but we are not keeping them. The best talent is being lured to Silicon Valley, Europe, and China,” Val-Neboh stated.

He argued that Ghana must introduce measures to retain AI talent, including government-backed AI research grants, tax incentives for startups working on indigenous AI models, and AI innovation hubs that provide funding, mentorship, and infrastructure to AI developers. “We cannot just be a country that trains AI experts for the rest of the world. If we do not create the right environment for them, they will leave,” he said.

Ultimately, Val-Neboh envisions a Ghana where AI is not just a tool for businesses but a national strategy for governance. He believes AI should drive economic forecasting and policy planning, automate regulatory compliance and oversight, and enhance real-time crisis management for healthcare, agriculture, and finance.

However, none of this can happen if Ghana does not act now. “The world is moving forward with AI while we are still debating whether to act. By the time we fully integrate AI into governance, other nations will be ten steps ahead,” he cautioned.

The country must decide whether to embrace AI-driven governance now or remain trapped in fragmented industry adoption.