Ghana’s communications minister Haruna Iddrisu has reassured citizens of the government’s commitment to promote an effective telecommunications network connecting the country’s remote regions to the rest of the nation.
Speaking during the launch of fibre-optic network project that will lay cables from Ho to Bawku, the minister said the infrastructure would bridge the communications vacuum for hospitals, schools, police stations, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the immigration offices.
The project, which is expected to cover about 600 kilometres, will provide high-speed data links to remote areas.
The project is being carried out by Alcatel-Lucent in agreement with Ghana’s National Information Technology Agency (NITA). It will cover all the nation’s regional capitals, and will connect municipal and district assemblies, which are required in order to set up a national data centre in Accra.
The initial phase of the project according to the minister would be financed with a government-approved US$30 million loan obtained from the Chinese government.
On the impact of the project on Ghana’s economy, the minister said it would open up the eastern corridor road to local and international businesses and investments, since internet access would increase. He added that there will be a boost in available job opportunities and an overall improvement in the quality of lifestyle of the community residents is inevitable.
The minister in charge of the Volta region, Henry Ford Kamel, hailed the government’s commitment to the fibre-optic project, which according to him would “definitely open up the northern parts of the region for the needed development that would open up the area to investors.”
The people of the region were prepared to support the project and ensure its successful and early completion, he added.
