The Internet Divide: Who Gets Left Behind in a Digital Ghana?

By Baaba

Bongo District, Upper East Ghana — Fifteen-year-old Charity Adongo squints at her teacher’s chalkboard from the back of a packed classroom. She’s never touched a laptop. She’s never watched a YouTube video. She’s never Googled her homework. But she’s expected to pass ICT exams.

“There’s one computer at school,” she says. “We take turns touching it once a week.”

As Ghana accelerates toward a digital future — with e-government services, mobile banking, online learning, and remote work — not all citizens are moving at the same pace. Across towns and rural villages, the internet divide remains a glaring barrier, locking out millions from opportunity, learning, and even basic information.

The Digital Divide in Numbers

According to a 2023 report from the Ghana Statistical Service:

About 55% of urban households have access to the internet at home
Only 17% of rural households report having reliable internet access
Nearly 70% of rural schoolchildren have never used a computer
Women and girls are disproportionately excluded from digital access

“We speak of Ghana digitizing,” says ICT policy researcher, Dr. Kwesi Appiah. “But half the population remains analog in reality.”

Life Without the Internet

In areas like Bongo, Akatsi, and Nkwanta, the implications are severe:

Students can’t research beyond textbooks
Job seekers can’t apply for online vacancies
Traders can’t market on WhatsApp or Facebook
Farmers miss out on real-time weather updates or pricing platforms
Pregnant women don’t receive SMS health tips offered in cities

“It’s more than inconvenience,” says Dr. Appiah. “It’s systemic exclusion.”

Personal Stories from the Divide

Charity, the student in Bongo, says she copied sample coding commands from a friend who had internet in town. “But I don’t understand them,” she says. “I just memorize.”

Madam Florence, a 42-year-old seamstress in Hohoe, says her niece in Accra helped her create a Facebook page for her sewing. “But I can’t read messages unless she visits. I can’t afford a smartphone.”

Kwame, a cassava farmer in Eastern Region, tried to register for the Ghana Card online. “It never loaded. I had to travel two hours to a café.”

The Urban Advantage

Meanwhile, in Accra and Kumasi, internet speeds are improving, data bundles are getting cheaper, and students attend virtual classes on Zoom.

“This is how inequality gets worse,” says development expert Bernice Amankwah. “Some kids are learning Python. Others haven’t typed their name.”

Barriers to Connectivity

The internet divide is not just about signal strength — it’s a mix of:

Infrastructure gaps – many areas lack telecom towers, electricity, or fiber
Device costs – smartphones and laptops are still unaffordable for many
Data pricing – while rates have improved, monthly access remains expensive for low-income users
Digital literacy – many people, especially older adults, fear or misunderstand digital tools
Gender gap – girls are more likely to be denied access at home due to cultural norms

“There’s a generation growing up outside the digital conversation,” says Amankwah. “And that has long-term consequences.”

What’s Being Done

Some progress is underway:

GIFEC (Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications) is rolling out rural telephony and community ICT centers
Private ISPs like MTN and Vodafone are expanding 4G coverage
Nonprofits like Worldreader and Soronko Academy are teaching digital skills to women and girls
Google’s Equiano Cable project promises to improve broadband speed and reduce cost in the near future

But much of the change is slow, scattered, and heavily dependent on donor funding.

Schools Still Struggle

Even where connectivity exists, many public schools lack devices, tech teachers, or reliable power.

In a junior high school near Wa, a teacher displays printed screenshots of a desktop to explain how to use Excel.

“How do I teach them coding when we don’t have keyboards?” he asks.

Bridging the Gap

Experts recommend a multi-pronged approach:

Subsidized smartphones and laptops for students
Community Wi-Fi zones in rural districts
Train-the-trainer programs for teachers and women leaders
Mandated infrastructure in new housing developments
Digital inclusion policies focused on rural youth and women
Language localization of apps and services in Twi, Ewe, Dagbani, and more

“Digital access is not a luxury,” says Dr. Appiah. “It’s a 21st-century right.”

Final Thought

As Ghana invests in smart cities, AI hubs, and e-learning platforms, the danger is leaving behind those in the shadows — not due to laziness, but lack of access.

For girls like Charity, the difference between participation and exclusion comes down to something most urban residents take for granted: a device, a SIM card, and a stable signal.

Until the divide is closed, Ghana’s digital future remains uneven — promising for some, out of reach for others.