Ghana’s Communications Minister Sam George says cybersecurity needs to become a top government priority as more Ghanaians use mobile money, digital government services, and online banking. He spoke Wednesday at a major cybersecurity conference in Accra.
The message: as Ghana digitizes faster, hackers target us more.
Why Ghana’s cybersecurity matters now
More Ghanaians than ever rely on digital services daily. You check your MoMo balance, renew your passport online, pay DSTV via an app. Government has rolled out the Ghana Card, digital voter registration, paperless ports.
That convenience creates risk. Globally, cybercrime costs hit USD 10.5 trillion (~GHS 116.6 trillion at April 2026 rates) by end of 2025, growing 15% yearly, George told the audience. Banks worldwide lost over USD 12 billion (~GHS 133.2 billion at April 2026 rates) to cyber attacks in 20 years.
“Ghana is not immune,” he said.
Translation: SIM swap fraud, fake MoMo messages, hacked business accounts, stolen Ghana Card data—these aren’t just foreign problems.
What government plans to do
George outlined the administration’s “Reset Ghana Agenda” for digital security. Key pieces:
- A USD 3 billion (~GHS 33.3 billion at April 2026 rates) Digital Jobs Initiative using public-private partnerships to train Ghanaians in tech skills including cybersecurity.
- Regional Digital Centres across Ghana to support tech outsourcing businesses.
- Zonal ICT Parks focused on AI and cybersecurity innovation. The Dawa ICT Park will be upgraded as a flagship.
- Pushing companies to treat cybersecurity as a boardroom issue, not just an IT department problem.
The minister wants corporate Ghana—banks, telecoms, fintechs—to invest in security talent, share threat intelligence with each other, and build tougher digital infrastructure.
What this means for you
Government strategy doesn’t protect your MoMo account directly. You still need to:
- Never share your MoMo PIN or one-time passwords, even if someone claims to be from MTN or your bank.
- Ignore calls asking you to “confirm your Ghana Card details” unless you initiated contact.
- Use strong, unique passwords for banking apps. Enable two-factor authentication where offered.
- Update your phone’s operating system and apps regularly—old software has known security holes.
Longer-term, if government actually funds cybersecurity training and builds those tech parks, Ghana could produce more local security experts. That means better-protected local apps and services, fewer data breaches at Ghanaian companies, maybe even lower fraud rates on MoMo.
But those are multi-year projects. Right now, your best defense is skepticism: if a message or call feels off, it probably is.
What to watch
Budget details for the Digital Jobs Initiative (GHS 33.3 billion is a huge number—where’s the funding?).
Whether telecoms and banks actually start sharing fraud data with each other, as the minister urged.
Any new consumer-protection rules around SIM swaps, account takeovers, or MoMo fraud reimbursement from regulators like Bank of Ghana or the National Communications Authority.
The minister’s speech sets tone. Implementation decides whether Ghanaians actually get safer digital services.
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