Alex Bram, chief executive officer of Hubtel, said on Thursday that Ghana must establish a national data‑sharing framework to enable local companies to preserve and share information under clear arrangements. He warned that without such a system, the country’s planned AI compute centre will struggle to find the data needed to train advanced models.
During an interview ahead of the second episode of the Digital Economy Forum, Bram highlighted that Hubtel’s own AI laboratory, launched in 2023, faced a major hurdle: a lack of reliable data sources. “We tried to connect with other large companies to see if they could give us, we could share some of our data with them,” he explained. “We realised there’s still no framework in Ghana for sharing data.”
Bram contrasted Ghana’s situation with the United States, China and parts of Europe, where established data‑sharing arrangements have accelerated AI development. He said the government should offer incentives for businesses to retain useful data and set up clear protocols for how institutions can exchange information.
He added that the national AI compute centre, a key part of Ghana’s digital strategy, will only succeed if supported by a robust data ecosystem. “Because at some point when we finish the AI data centres, we will need a lot of data,” he said. “If that AI compute centre is to succeed, because when a computer centre is there, without the data, it's nothing.”
Bram called for the framework to be introduced even before the physical infrastructure is completed, noting that “AI is just data.” He suggested that government institutions could lead by example, establishing arrangements that encourage private companies to participate.
While acknowledging the potential benefits, Bram noted that a national framework must also protect personal and commercially sensitive information, setting clear rules on what can be shared, who can access it, and how safeguards will prevent misuse.
The Digital Economy Forum’s second episode, themed “AI and the Ghana Economy: Opportunity or Disruption?”, will air live on JoyNews and Joy 99.7 FM on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 8 p.m.
