Sam George elected chair of AU ICT committee

Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has been confirmed unanimously as chairperson of the African Union’s Specialised Technical Committee on Communication and Information and Communications Technology (STC-CICT).

The confirmation came at the committee’s ministerial meeting in Libreville, Gabon. He takes over from Lesotho’s Minister for Information, Communication, Science, Technology and Innovation, Nthati Morosi and will serve for two years from October 2026.

Accepting the role, Mr George said it was a responsibility to the whole of the African Union and not a privilege for Ghana alone.

He thanked the government and people of Gabon for hosting the meeting and praised Ms Morosi and the outgoing bureau for their work.

He promised to build on what the committee has already done, saying Africa has to move from policy declarations to actually carrying out its digital agenda.

“Africa does not lack strategies. What we have too often lacked is a collective will to implement them at the pace that our people demand,” he said.

Mr George named connectivity, data governance, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence as the areas that need urgent, coordinated action from member states.

He said that means wider access to reliable connectivity, data that benefits Africans, a joint response to cyber threats, and AI solutions that reflect African realities and priorities.

He also called for Africa to speak with one voice in international negotiations on AI, data and digital trade. With nearly 1.5 billion people, he said, the continent has the weight to influence global technology standards, and it should not leave individual countries to bargain from weaker positions.

“Africa must be at the table, not on the menu,” he said.

The minister pointed to Ghana’s One Million Coders Programme as an example of equipping young people with digital skills for the global technology industry.

He said Ghana’s chairmanship would focus on listening to member states, building consensus and driving implementation.

The committee, he added, should be judged on tangible outcomes over the next two years.