Ghana’s education system must shift from memorization to hands-on AI training. Dr. David Boison urges policy reforms to integrate experiential learning, ensuring AI talent is harnessed for national development and global competitiveness

Ghana’s education system is not equipping students with the practical skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven future. This is according to Dr. David Boison, an AI expert and CEO of Knowledge Web Centre. 

Dr. Boison believes that the country’s traditional approach, centered on memorization and standardized testing is outdated and must be replaced with hands-on experiential learning if Ghana is to compete globally in artificial intelligence.

Speaking with The High Street Journal, he raised concerns about how Ghanaian students are trained, emphasizing that the current system does not encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, or AI innovation.

“What does objective questions achieve? When you finish answering, what happens? We have to unlearn the old things and relearn the new ones. Our education system must move into experiential learning and project-based training.”

He argued that AI is reshaping industries worldwide, and Ghana’s education sector must keep pace by integrating AI into learning methods, fostering practical applications, and moving beyond classroom theory.

Dr. Boison pointed to China’s learning-through-replication model as an example of how nations can successfully train their workforce for AI leadership. Unlike Ghana, where students often rely on textbooks and examinations, China encourages students to experiment, innovate, and build AI solutions that address real-world problems.

He believes that Ghana must introduce project-based AI training at all levels of education, ensuring that students not only understand AI concepts but can also apply them in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, finance, and logistics.

Dr. Boison also highlighted Ghana’s growing pool of AI professionals, noting that over 4,000 AI trainers have been trained in Ghana, contributing to a larger initiative to train 11 million Africans in AI. However, he lamented that many of these experts are underutilized due to a lack of structured integration into national development.

“We have trained more AI experts than Rwanda, but we have not been able to utilize these experts to address the specific needs of this country.”

He warned that without a shift in education policy and AI adoption, Ghana risks losing its AI talent to foreign markets, as countries like the US, Canada, and Europe aggressively recruit AI specialists with relaxed visa policies.