Rockerfeller foundation in partnership with the World Bank announced a $3.8 million grant to the Ghanaian government to support the establishment of world class facilities that will attract IT and IT enabled firms, including Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms to Ghana and create jobs for Ghanaian youth.

The project complements World Bank’s US $5 million provided under the eGhana Project and is part of the Foundation’s Digital Jobs Africa $100 million initiative launched in 2013 aimed at improving 1 million lives through ICT skills and jobs for high potential but disadvantaged youth.

A new mini ICT Park to be located in Accra will be completed by August of this year, and is expected to have potential of providing direct and indirect employment to over 10,000 people, primarily youth, who have few alternative job opportunities. The grant will help address that constraint directly by providing the funds for the Ghanaian government to create a world class facility.

“As Rockerfeller Foundation enters its second year of our $100m Digital jobs Africa initiative, we applaud the commitment of the Ghanaian government for steering the hiring at this new state of the art ICT Park towards poor and vulnerable youth- which will help to achieve our ultimate goal of impacting the lives of 1 million people through digital jobs for disadvantaged youth.” Said Mamadou Biteye, Managing Director of the Rockerfeller Foundation Africa Regional Office.

According to Biteye, the project will transform the landscape of Ghana’s IT/ ITES sector while ensuring that the disadvantaged youth are the ultimate beneficiaries to make an impact economically on the nation through young minds.