“Invest in Digital Skills Now or Risk Falling Behind in the AI Era” — IT Consultant Warns

By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh

IT Consultant, Mr. Samuel Okerchiri, has highlighted the major challenges Ghanaian companies face as they attempt to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations. Speaking on the Business Breakfast on Zed 101.9FM, Mr. Okerchiri stressed that while AI presents enormous opportunities, many organisations still struggle with misconceptions and structural limitations.

He noted that one of the most common concerns among businesses is the perceived high cost of adopting AI.

Mr. Okerchiri dismissed the notion that companies require huge budgets to get started, explaining that effective AI integration begins with identifying simple use cases.

He added that once organisations begin with small, practical applications, they can scale their AI utilisation over time.

According to him, another major hurdle is the lack of skilled talent. He emphasised the need for Ghanaian youth to take advantage of opportunities to build digital and AI-related competencies.

“So with the right digital skills, organisations can overcome this challenge. But currently, finding people with AI skills is a big issue, even for large institutions and financial organisations producing large volumes of data,” he noted.

Mr. Okerchiri also underscored the importance of data quality in the effective use of machine learning and analytics tools.

He cautioned that poor or skewed data can lead to incorrect inferences and faulty decisions.

“AI analyzes the data you have. If your data is wrong, the decisions you make based on AI will also be wrong. Data quality is very, very important,” he stressed.

He further highlighted infrastructural limitations as a significant challenge, particularly internet connectivity in rural areas.

“Not everybody will be able to own servers to run AI on-premise. Most people will access it through the cloud. Once you have bad internet connectivity, you cannot take full advantage of AI,” he said.

Mr. Okerchiri also mentioned the widespread fear of job losses as a barrier to AI adoption, noting that such perceptions can demotivate employees and slow organisational progress.

He urged companies to invest in building digital skills to ensure that Ghana does not lag in the global shift toward artificial intelligence.

The consultant also encouraged Ghanaians to embrace the growing opportunities emerging in the technology space despite rising fears about job losses linked to digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

He explained that while some traditional roles are becoming obsolete, new job categories are rapidly emerging across Ghana’s digital economy. Mr. Okerchiri urged workers to continually upgrade their skills to remain relevant, stating that digital transformation presents more opportunities than threats for those who prepare adequately.