President John Dramani Mahama has warned cyber criminals engaged in romance scams and other online fraud that Ghana will not be a haven, declaring that offenders will be extradited to face justice under international treaties.
He issued the warning on Wednesday at the launch of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2025 in Accra, held under the theme: “Building a Safe, Informed and Accountable Digital Space.”
The month-long programme, spearheaded by the Cyber Security Authority in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, and the Ministry for the Interior, aims to raise public awareness on protecting digital rights, countering misinformation and disinformation, and promoting responsible technology use among children, businesses, government, and the wider public.
President Mahama said his administration’s Reset Ghana Agenda placed digital transformation at the heart of national development, with cybersecurity positioned as a key pillar.
“When I took office in January this year, I promised the Ghanaian people that we would develop a modern, inclusive, and secure digital economy. That promise continues to guide my work today,” he said.
The President outlined four flagship initiatives already underway: the One Million Coders Programme, the Digital Jobs Initiative, the FinTech Group Fund, and the 24-Hour Economy.
He explained that the One Million Coders Programme, launched in April, was already being piloted in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono and Upper East regions, equipping thousands of young people with digital skills for the jobs of the future. Similarly, the Digital Jobs Initiative was leveraging public-private partnerships to create sustainable employment opportunities in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital entrepreneurship, supported by regional ICT parks and business process outsourcing centres.
On financial technology, the President announced that a $50 million FinTech Group Fund had been established to support indigenous startups and build a strong digital finance ecosystem. “We want Ghanaian innovators to develop solutions for Ghanaian challenges and also expand them across Africa,” he said.
To strengthen institutional coordination, President Mahama inaugurated the 18-member Joint Cyber Security Committee (JCC) of the Cyber Security Authority, mandated under the Cyber Security Act, 2020 (Act 1038). The JCC, he said, would ensure coherence and proactive national defense against cyber threats.
“Cybersecurity must not be fragmented. It demands unity of purpose, a clear strategy, and disciplined education. Cybercrime ignores borders. A hacker in one country can breach systems halfway across the world within seconds. And that is why Ghana cannot act alone. We must collaborate with the rest of the world,” he stressed.
Ghana, he noted, is already a signatory to the Malabo Convention and the Budapest Convention on Cyber Crime, frameworks that enhance international cooperation and align Ghana’s laws with global standards. He further revealed that Ghana will, this October, ratify and sign the United Nations Convention on Cyber Crime, describing it as a “landmark treaty” that will provide stronger tools to investigate attacks, prosecute offenders, and safeguard critical information infrastructure.
President Mahama underscored that while digital transformation offers immense opportunities, it also requires vigilance against those who seek to exploit technology for criminal ends.
“We are proud, not because of what we have given, but because of the impact it is making on individuals, families, and the country,” he concluded, reaffirming his government’s commitment to building a resilient and trusted digital space for Ghana’s future.
