Players in the Tech and Digital Innovation ecosystem in the Ashanti Region have made a compelling justification for broader support and investments for home grown innovations at the Ghana Digital Innovation Week 2025
Hosted by technical partners HAPASPACE, the grand opening afforded innovators, business incubation hubs, tech enthusiasts, investors, and policy makers a platform to hold deep strategic deliberations about the direction, opportunities and future of indigenous digital innovations in the Ashanti Region.
The weeklong confab of ideas and opportunities opened with insightful plenary sessions and engaging panel discussions aimed at positioning the region at the pinnacle of technological transformation while leveraging on her pool of unique talents, cultural and commercial endowments
Addressing the opening, Chairman of the Ghana Hubs Network Yaw Adu Gyamfi expressed concern that though the Ashanti Region possesses strong comparative and competitive advantages, many digital enterprises which cut their tooth in the region, migrate to the National capital because of restricted opportunities, limited information and poor access to funding.
“Farmerline, a top notch farmer advisory and support services organization started in the KNUST campus. We have also had very interesting digital applications but most of them find their way to Accra and I don’t blame them. If you are here the opportunities are limited in terms of access, information, infrastructure and in access to funding,” he bemoaned.
Yaw Adu Gyamfi made a clarion call on leadership across the private and public sector; academia and traditional councils to take an urgent cross sectorial and interdisciplinary approach to addressing the hemorrhaging fortunes of Asanteman.
“The Kumasi Mayor and the Regional minister must convene breakfast meetings to discuss how do we leverage innovation and digital technology for Asanteman’s transformation. That is the question for the political leaders; that is the question for Nananom; that is the question for the private sector and those in academia. We have KNUST, KsTU, AMUSTED; we have a powerful traditional leadership and prominent politicians who have the region at heart,” he suggested.
Buttressing his argument about the widening inequalities; he compared the well-established Accra Digital Center and its myriad of facilities to the diminutive structure of the Kumasi Digital Center describing the disparities as unfortunate and unbefitting of the status of the Ashanti Region.
GDIW 25 Exhibition
The Kumasi edition of GDIW 2025 which was heralded by a grand opening at the Prempeh Assembly Hall was virtually ignited by a sea of diverse market driven demand oriented tech products offering solutions in agriculture irrigation; virtual reality; advanced 3D printing; safety and security; education and administration; health and nutrition.
The exhibition further saw an impressive array of home grown service solutions and product offerings ranging across fashion and design; cosmetics, food and beverages.
Commenting on the migration of innovators from Kumasi, the project manager for Skuuni, a cloud based school management solutions company Steven Ofori indicated that his company had taken the pains to remain in the region in the face of resource and funding constraints.
“You can start something but at a point you need funding to scale. To scale, you need to get people like sales and marketing support personnel, software engineers and quality assurance engineers on board. All that requires funding which is difficult to come by,” he explained.
Speaking with Kumasimail.com an innovator with IOT network hub Emmanuel Arthur indicated that Ghana requires reforms in its education curriculum to begin identifying and developing enthusiasm in digital technologies from early childhood.
Arthur whose Hub displayed smart home appliances and smart irrigation systems that control pumps based on soil moisture also called for such reforms to be inclusive in identifying children in rural Ghana who have little to no interface with digital technologies and technological innovation.
Unlocking Kumasi’s Potential
The GDIW 2025 grand opening and exhibition was graced by special guest Nana Yaw Akuoku.
Ɔtumfoɔ Assinhene, Sepaase, who toured the exhibition stance after giving a powerful key note address about the role of traditional leaders in championing digital transformation.
Nana Yaw Akuoko shared profound admiration for the possibilities GIWD-Kumasi could unlock if the organizers and innovators receive the critically needed support to hold more of such impactful events.
“From the creativity I have seen, Ghana has a future but if we want to make this country a technology hub; we need to support the innovators. We allowed Apostle Kwadwo Safo to exhibit all his engineering skills and never supported him enough till his demise. These are the things developing the advanced world and they are the very things we pay to go and watch,” he remarked.
“If we are able to give them the funding and infrastructure, by ten years’ time I am envisaging a good picture in Ghana. Government must intentionally adopt some of these companies and support rather than the many things we are wasting time on,” Nana requested.
Funding Opportunities
Technical Advisor for GIZ Benson Adjei indicated that aside being a main funding partner for the Ghana Digital Innovation Week, the German Government appreciates and provides funding for start ups with demonstrated potential to solve societal problems and create jobs and income.
At the Digital Transformation Center, GIZ as an organization has diverse programs where we support these startups in the areas of user testing and hackathons where these businesses pitch for funding.
Driving further the campaign for Ashanti Region to be accorded a seat at the echelons of digital innovation, Co-Founder for Hapaspace Alex Opoku argued that the region has silently served as a cradle for several notable thriving businesses that took their baby steps in Kumasi.
“Kumasi is really the birthplace of innovation. You might know about Hubtel, Farmerline, and food chains like Pizzaman all that emanated from Kumasi but got pulled away by Accra. And if you are talking about grassroots innovation, there is no place like Suame,”
He was elated GDIW which was hitherto an Accra affair has recognized the need to expand to other regions with Kumasi becoming a venue of significance for the annual event.
This year’s Ghana Digital Innovation Week (GIWD – 2025) is themed, “Catalyzing for Change – Emerging Technologies at the Forefront of Innovation and Digital Transformation.”
Panel discussions in the Ashanti Region centered around Innovation & Digital Transformation; AI & Blockchain Applications for Ashanti’s Industries; the Gig Economy; the Role of Hubs in the Region and Localizing Digital Policy at the regional level.
Spearheads of the GDIW Consortium including Ghana Hubs Network, Impact Investing Ghana, and the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) together with partners from selected universities in the Ashanti Region participated in fleshing out and bringing perspective to the discussions.
The series of exhibitions, regional events, and dialogues will culminate into the main celebration from November 12 to 14 in the national capital Accra.
By: Ivan Heathcote – Fumador.
