Ecobank Ghana PLC has upgraded and presented a cutting edge Digital Learning Centre to the Tetteh-Ocloo State School for the Deaf at Adjei-Kojo, in the Greater Accra Region.
The learning centre, which used to be the ICT lab for the school, was upgraded by the bank as part of activities to mark the 40th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Ecobank brand in Africa.
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The event also marked13 years of Ecobank Day, which is the group’s most important day for making social interventions across Africa through the Ecobank Foundation.
The upgraded centre is equipped with 26 computers and accessories, including furniture for students and tutors.
It is also equipped with a projector, an inverter and free internet connectivity for 3 years.
Addressing staff and students at the presentation ceremony, Managing Director of Ecobank Ghana, Mrs. Abena Osei-Poku, said the day is Ecobank’s Group-wide flagship social impact initiative, led by the Ecobank Foundation.
She stated that the bank has supported children’s education over the last few years by refurbishing and equipping ICT laboratories in selected deprived schools and turning them into Digital Learning Centres.
She emphasised that “children with physical or learning challenges are too often overlooked, not because they lack potential, but because the world hasn’t always adapted to their needs and learning methods.”
This year, Ecobank is taking steps to change that. “We’re making sure that children are not left behind simply because they learn differently”, she added.
Mrs Osei-Poku said that by leveraging new technology, society has more ways to break down long-standing barriers and build more inclusive, supportive, and empowering learning environments.
The headmaster of the school, Isaac Arthur, noted that the theme for the day, ‘enabling inclusive learning for all through tech’, resonates with the mission of the school.
He expressed his optimism that the Digital Learning Centre will help the students break barriers in communication, learning and participation.
Isaac Arthur described the commissioning as a manifestation of what is possible when organisations like Ecobank partner with educational institutions like theirs, which cater for special needs education.
He thus called for more support not just from the bank but also from other corporate organisations.
The Director of the Special Education Division (SPED) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Madam Helena Mensah, who was represented by Gloria Ntim, said the commissioning is a significant milestone in our collective commitment to promoting inclusive education for all learners, regardless of ability and background.”
She stated that by investing in the digital infrastructure of the school, the bank has demonstrated a deep understanding of the transformative power of technology in bridging the learning gap and expanding access to quality education.
The SPED Director further said Ecobank’s intervention is in line with the GES’ goal of “ensuring that no child is left behind in the digital era.”
As part of efforts to bridge the existing digital divide between the deaf students and their colleagues in regular schools, the Ghana Code Club will facilitate train-the-trainer workshops for both tutors and students for a period of 6 months.
They will focus on assistive digital learning kits, web development, animation, robotics and artificial intelligence.
The Founder and CEO of Ghana Code Club, Ernestina Appiah, detailing some of the tools they had incorporated specifically into the centre said, “for this centre, we are introducing sign-language-adapted coding visuals, hands-on Al demonstrations, and sensory-based learning activities, allowing deaf learners to interact, build, and create technology in ways that suit their learning styles.”
She noted that the impacts of these digital centres go far beyond computer skills.
She envisioned that they will nurture a generation of young innovators and problem solvers who can apply technology to address real-life challenges from community development to entrepreneurship.
Madam Appiah was also hopeful that trainers will gain confidence to deliver inclusive digital lessons, while students will discover that technology is not something distant or foreign, but a tool for self-expression, creativity, and empowerment.
She concluded that “for the deaf learners, these centres symbolize inclusion and visibility, a powerful message that their voices and ideas matter in Ghana’s digital future.”
As Ecobank brand ambassador, King Promise joined the occasion by donating foodstuffs and books to the school. He also made a promise to sponsor the school’s best BECE student through SHS to university.
