Ghana’s AI growth depends on strong public-private partnerships. Edem Dzorkpata urges businesses to lead AI adoption while the government sets ethical policies to prevent bias, protect data, and drive economic transformation

 March 25, 2025

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries worldwide, and Ghana is gradually embracing its potential. However, while the private sector is driving AI adoption, there is an urgent need for government intervention to regulate its development and usage, according to Edem Quintin Dzorkpata, a fintech and digital banking strategist.

Speaking with The High Street Journal, Dzorkpata emphasized that businesses and financial institutions are already leveraging AI for credit scoring, fraud detection, and digital banking, but without clear policies and regulations, AI could deepen inequalities and expose users to data privacy risks.

“The government must set clear AI policies and frameworks to ensure responsible and ethical AI development. Investing in AI education, fostering innovation hubs, and updating regulatory frameworks will be key,” he stated.

One of the biggest challenges in AI adoption is bias in decision-making, particularly in sectors such as credit scoring and recruitment, where AI models may reinforce existing inequalities due to biased training data. Without strong oversight, financial institutions may unintentionally exclude low-income individuals from accessing credit based on flawed AI assessments.

“One of the major ethical concerns is AI bias, especially in areas like credit scoring and hiring, where AI models might reinforce existing inequalities due to biased training data,” he noted.

Data privacy is another critical issue. AI thrives on data, but Ghana’s data protection framework is still evolving, leaving room for potential misuse of personal information. Dzorkpata stressed the need for stronger data governance policies to ensure fairness and accountability in AI development.

“To address these, there must be clear regulatory guidelines, stronger data governance policies, and ethical AI development frameworks that ensure fairness and accountability,” he added.

Despite these challenges, AI presents a massive economic opportunity for Ghana. With the rise of fintech, mobile money, and digital services, AI-powered solutions are expected to scale rapidly. The African AI market is projected to reach $18 billion by 2025, and Ghana, with its increasing digital transformation, could claim a significant share.

“A realistic projection would be AI contributing between 5-10% of Ghana’s GDP in the next decade, driven by sectors like finance, healthcare, and e-commerce,” Dzorkpata projected.

He explained that AI is already transforming banking, customer service, agriculture, and healthcare, and its impact will only grow stronger in the coming years.

AI-powered financial services are revolutionizing banking and fintech through credit scoring, fraud detection, and automated lending. Conversational AI is gaining traction, with AI-driven chatbots and voice assistants playing a bigger role in mobile money and banking interactions. AI in agriculture is introducing smart farming solutions powered by AI-driven analytics to improve productivity and efficiency. The healthcare sector is also seeing AI-powered diagnostics and telemedicine enhancing medical services, while generative AI and local language processing are driving content creation and customer engagement.

For Ghana to harness AI’s full potential, Dzorkpata believes the upcoming AI summit on March 27, 2025 will bring together policymakers, tech leaders, and businesses. Such a platform would align AI adoption strategies, address concerns like job displacement, bias, and cybersecurity threats, and promote local AI research and startups.

In his view, while the private sector must drive AI adoption, the government’s role is crucial in ensuring AI is developed responsibly. He stressed that the government must establish ethical AI policies, strengthen data protection laws, and invest in AI education and research hubs. Meanwhile, the private sector must lead in funding AI development, partnering with startups and universities, and ensuring AI is used to solve local challenges. A public-private partnership will be essential in making AI a driver of economic growth in Ghana.

“A strong public-private partnership will be essential in making AI a driver of economic growth in Ghana,” Dzorkpata concluded.

With clear regulations, strong ethical frameworks, and strategic investments, AI can play a transformative role in Ghana’s economy. However, Dzorkpata insists that without government oversight, AI could become a tool for exclusion rather than empowerment.