Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr. Niloy Banerjee, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Ghana, has urged Government to invest in Artificial Intelligence research and technology to tackle development challenges.
He said AI held significant potential to accelerate Ghana’s progress in human development by improving access, service delivery, and innovation in health, education and standard of living.
Mr. Banerjee made these remarks at the launch of the 2025 Human Development Report (HDR), in Accra.
The report, themed “A matter of choice: People and possibilities in the age of Al,” explores the influence of digitalisation and AI on areas including health, education, employment, and human agency.
The event sought to contextualise global findings within Ghana’s development landscape and promote dialogue among policymakers, academics, civil society, and development partners.
Mr. Banerjee said this year’s report underscored the urgent need to harness AI for inclusive and sustainable development.
“For Ghana, this means rethinking how we design policies—to protect data, expand access, and ensure that AI becomes a tool to empower people, not exclude them,” he added.
Mr. Banerjee said Ghana continued to make steady progress in human development and ranked among countries with medium human development.
However, he cautioned that structural inequalities, climate vulnerability, and underutilised capabilities remained key challenges.
Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, Chairperson of the National Development Planning Commission, acknowledged Ai’s vast potential but emphasised the importance of ethical and equitable deployment.
He said this would ensure that benefits were accessible to all socio-economic groups and not just a few privileged groups.
“As we embrace AI, it is important that we work together with all sectors of the economy and development partners to bridge the digital divide. Only then can we make AI truly accessible and use it as a tool to reduce inequality,’ he added.
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical measure used to rank countries based on health, education, and standard of living.
It ranges from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating greater development.
Ghana’s HDI rose from 0.594 in 2017 to 0.628 in 2023, reflecting gradual improvements in people’s opportunities and well-being.
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