AI could deepen rural-urban inequality without better connectivity – Sam George

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam George, has warned that Ghana’s adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) could deepen existing inequalities between rural and urban communities unless deliberate investments are made to improve digital connectivity across the country.

He says while AI presents enormous opportunities for economic growth, education and improved public services, communities without reliable internet access risk being left behind as the country embraces the technology.

Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology & Innovations, Sam George.

“If we do not take specific steps to avoid it, I’ve always said AI will not just mean artificial intelligence, it will mean advancing inequalities,” he cautioned.

Speaking in an interview ahead of the second episode of the Digital Economy Forum, the minister said the government recognises the danger and is considering measures to ensure that the benefits of AI are not concentrated in major cities.

“As a ministry, we’re very minded about that. It’s part of the reason why for me, again, I’m pitching to cabinet that we should have a phase three of the rural telephony project. And I’m not looking to just roll out new sites,” he explained.

Mr. George disclosed that Ghana has nearly 3,000 rural telephony sites operating largely on older 2G and 3G technologies, which he believes are inadequate to support the level of digital participation required in an AI-driven economy.

He is therefore proposing an upgrade of existing rural telecommunications infrastructure to provide faster internet connectivity rather than focusing exclusively on expanding the number of sites.

“What I’m looking to do is to upgrade all the existing sites. Then they need to be able to use 4G and 5G technology because that’s where you can stream. That’s where you can learn using 4G and 5G,” he explained.

The minister argued that without such investments, rural communities could remain disadvantaged in accessing digital education, developing technological skills and participating in emerging economic opportunities.

“So we want to do an upgrade of our existing infrastructure to be able to make sure that even our rural telephony sites, just like our main urban and peri-urban networks, provide 4G and soon 5G services,” he added.

The proposal is currently being pitched to Cabinet as part of a possible third phase of the rural telephony project.

Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

The sector minister pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of how unequal access to technology can disadvantage children in underserved communities.

He recalled that when schools closed and teaching moved online, many children in rural Ghana were unable to continue learning because they lacked the necessary digital access.

“We saw what happened during COVID, when the country shut down and kids in remote areas could not go online,” he said.

The Ningo-Prampram MP noted that children in major cities, including Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, had greater opportunities to participate in online learning, while their counterparts in remote communities faced significant disruptions.

The minister believes Ghana must avoid repeating this experience as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly important in education and other aspects of everyday life.

Ghana’s national AI strategy identifies education, healthcare, agriculture and government services as priority areas for the adoption of the technology.

The communications minister explained that better connectivity could allow rural communities to benefit from AI-supported learning, improved agricultural services and remote healthcare delivery.

He cited the possibility of using community information centres and 5G connectivity to connect patients in underserved areas with medical professionals based in regional hospitals.

“With 5G, I should be able to do telemedicine with a midwife in there or a nurse in there taking the vitals and getting services of a doctor in a community where there’s no doctor,” he said.

Equal opportunities for rural communities

Beyond education and healthcare, the minister said rural communities must also be supported to participate in the growing digital economy.

He rejected the notion that technological innovation and digital content creation are activities limited to urban centres, insisting that young people in rural Ghana are already engaging with digital platforms and should have access to the same opportunities.

“We can also have that in our rural communities because don’t get it twisted. There’s a lot of content creation going on in our rural communities today. The kids are on TikTok and they need to get the same opportunities that those in our urban areas get,” he indicated.

For the minister, expanding connectivity is therefore not simply about providing faster internet services. It is also about ensuring that where a Ghanaian lives does not determine their ability to benefit from technological advancement.

Despite the challenges, Mr George remains optimistic that deliberate investment in digital infrastructure and the successful implementation of Ghana’s AI strategy could ensure that communities across the country benefit from the technology.

He says his ultimate ambition is to build a digital economy in which technology improves the lives of all Ghanaians, irrespective of their location.

“I want to leave this ministry with a legacy that we’ve left a digitally inclusive and data-driven economy. That, for me, is the focus,” he said.

The question of whether AI will create opportunities for all Ghanaians or deepen existing inequalities will feature in the second episode of the Digital Economy Forum, under the theme “AI and the Ghana Economy: Opportunity or Disruption?”

The forum, held in partnership with Hubtel, will feature Sam George; Technical Advisor at the Finance Ministry, Dr Theo Acheampong; Founder of AI for Ghana, Adam Watkins; Head of Engineering at Hubtel, Augustine Adjei; and Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons.

It will air live on JoyNews and Joy 99.7 FM on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 8 p.m.