The rollout of the One Million Coders Programme in the Upper East Region is being significantly scaled up, with training centres increasing from one to 11 in a move aimed at widening access and responding to overwhelming demand recorded during its pilot phase.
The Upper East Regional Manager of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Martin Aberba, disclosed this in an interview on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
He said the expansion is informed by lessons from the pilot stage, where interest in the programme far exceeded available slots, prompting organisers to rethink access and scale.
“At the pilot stage, there was only one centre, particularly here in Bolgatanga. Now we have about 11 centres, so applicants can select the most convenient location,” he said.
The designated centres for the first phase are Tempane, Pusiga, Garu, Bawku Central, Binduri, Zebilla, Bongo, Nabdam, Navrongo Central, Chiana-Paga and Fumbisi. Aberba said this phase will cover selected districts, with a second phase expected to extend the programme to other areas not yet included.
Each centre, he said, will admit an initial cohort of 50 participants, supported with 50 laptops to facilitate training. Subsequent batches will be selected from a database of applicants.
Aberba also announced that applicants who were not selected during the pilot phase will automatically be considered under the expanded rollout.
“There were many who applied earlier but did not get the opportunity to participate. This time, they will also be considered. If you applied before, you don’t need to apply again,” he said.
Instead of submitting new applications, such applicants are expected to log into the system using their existing credentials and update their preferred training centres based on the expanded options.
Beyond improved access, the programme is also being expanded in scope, offering participants a wider range of courses compared to the pilot phase.
“Initially, we had just one programme in Bolga, but now there are several options, networking, artificial intelligence, software development and others, so participants can choose based on their interests,” Aberba said.
The expansion forms part of the government’s broader plan to train one million young people in digital skills over four years, focusing on areas such as artificial intelligence, programming, data analytics and networking.
Aberba said the high demand recorded during the pilot phase, where tens of thousands applied within a short period, highlights both the appetite for digital skills and the urgency of addressing youth unemployment through technology-driven interventions.
A new application portal is expected to open in the coming days, allowing prospective participants to select their preferred training centres.
