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1Billion Africa launches STEM for Africa Project
1Billion Africa (1BA) recently launched the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for Africa (S4A) project in Hwidiem in the Asutifi South District of the Ahafo Region of Ghana.
The S4A project, which contributes Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5, 10 & 17 – Quality Education, Gender Equality, Reduced Inequalities, and Partnerships for Development, respectively, is a bold initiative
to raise young scientists and innovators from rural communities in Africa.
1Billion Africa, a non-profit civil society organisation in Africa, inspires and empowers Africa’s youth to be change-agents in their communities by finding problems and turning them into projects.
The S4A project in Hwidiem is funded under the Engineering X programme founded in partnership with Royal Academy of Engineering and Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
The Queen Mother, Nana Attaa Adwoa Agyeiwaa Kodie II, shared her commitment and vision of bringing quality education to Hwidiem, and why she believed the S4A project was helping to facilitate the initiative.
She applauded those funding the project and partners, and urged all stakeholders to commit to playing their roles diligently. She also urged parents to be involved, and student beneficiaries to take advantage of this golden opportunity to invest in their future.
“We are piloting this initiative in Hwidiem because of the immense support demonstrated by stakeholders during previous projects by 1BA in the district,” Mr Prince Adu-Appiah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of 1Billion Africa, said.
1Billion Africa and its partners appealed to the government, institutions, companies and individuals, to help scale the project to other communities in Ghana.
For the next two years, the S4A project will capacitate 1,000 student beneficiaries in 10 schools in Hwidiem to go through a total of 52,000 hours of practical STEM tuition using the innovative Science Set toolkit
developed by Dext Technologies Limited.
The project targets school children between the ages of 10 -15 years, who are in upper primary and junior high school in Hwidiem.
A total of 15 STEM clubs would also be set up to further engage the students in other innovative STEM activities, as well as have further practical sessions with the toolkit, which can be used to perform over 30 experiments.
The experiments include; building mini-robots, circuit systems, security alarm systems, and solar panel models.
Creativity, innovation, problem-solving and critical thinking skills to solve community problems is at the heart-beat of S4A, thus two Innovation Challenge competitions will be organised within the
project period.
In addition, 50 girls selected from within the 1,000 beneficiaries will receive mentoring from STEM Champions in liaison with Synergies Institute – Sankofa Mentorship Hub.
1BA has implemented and inspired over 25 projects in three countries – Ghana, Namibia and South Africa – impacting over 12,000 people, the majority being youth, women and children.
Key project partners include; Dext Technology, Synergies Institute – Sankofa Mentorship Hub, Nana Attaa Agyeiwaa II Foundation, D S Dayta Solution, Hwidiem Traditional Council, the Asutifi South District Education, the District and Local Government Assemblies, and Community Leaders.
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
