BY Daniel Bampoe
The Civil Service is embarking on one of its most significant modernisation drives in decades, with the Head of the Civil Service, Dr. Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, declaring that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable tool for public administration and warning that institutions which fail to embrace emerging technologies risk being left behind.
Speaking at the launch of the 2026 Civil Service Week Celebration and the 2025 Civil Service Awards Ceremony, held under the theme “The Resetting Agenda for Sustainable Development in Ghana: The Civil Service’s Responsibilities,” Dr. Aggrey-Darkoh outlined the government’s plans to build a technologically driven Civil Service capable of delivering faster, more efficient and responsive public services.
He revealed that the Government of Ghana has already commenced training programmes to equip civil servants with practical Artificial Intelligence skills as part of a broader digital transformation agenda being implemented through the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations.
According to him, the training initiative is not limited to junior public officers but also includes ministers and senior government officials, demonstrating the government’s determination to embed AI across the public sector.
“AI has come to stay. What we need to do is understand how to utilise AI to make us much more productive,” Dr. Aggrey-Darkoh stated.
He explained that the Civil Service is working towards creating a critical mass of public officers who understand Artificial Intelligence, its practical applications, governance frameworks and ethical considerations, enabling them to deploy the technology effectively in their daily work.
“Our target is to ensure that we have a critical mass of civil servants who are knowledgeable in AI and its application so they can deploy these tools effectively in the work they do,” he said.
Dr. Aggrey-Darkoh cautioned that organisations that continue to rely solely on traditional methods of service delivery will struggle to remain relevant in an increasingly digital world.
“If you continue to depend on old ways of doing things, you will be overtaken by events. We appreciate that these changes have come, and we must train our people to use them effectively,” he added.
Beyond digital transformation, the Head of the Civil Service announced that the government intends to undertake a comprehensive review of the Civil Service Act, legislation enacted more than 30 years ago, to bring it in line with current governance practices and technological advancements.
He explained that the proposed reforms will modernise outdated legal provisions, strengthen performance management systems, clarify the working relationship between political office holders and career civil servants, and incorporate emerging technologies into the legal framework governing the Civil Service.
According to him, the reforms are intended to create a more agile, innovative and responsive public service capable of supporting the long-term development agenda.
Dr. Aggrey-Darkoh also highlighted staff welfare and industrial harmony as critical pillars of Civil Service productivity, noting that remuneration issues remain one of the leading causes of industrial disputes across the world.
He said the Civil Service continues to engage government through the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOSAG) to address concerns relating to salaries and conditions of service.
While acknowledging that workers naturally expect government to fulfil its commitments promptly, he admitted that addressing such expectations is often constrained by economic realities.
He argued that sustainable improvements in workers’ welfare would depend largely on wealth creation, economic growth and constructive dialogue between government and organised labour.
“Our objective is to create wealth and engage government in a way that promotes a united front and a high level of industrial harmony because industrial harmony ultimately leads to improved productivity,” he stated.
Dr. Aggrey-Darkoh disclosed that during recent discussions with President John Dramani Mahama, the President assured the Civil Service Council that government is taking concrete steps to address longstanding distortions and inequalities within the public sector salary structure.
Among the key reforms under consideration, he said, is the establishment of an Independent Emoluments Commission to undertake a comprehensive review of remuneration across the public service and correct existing disparities.
Pending those broader reforms, the Head of the Civil Service encouraged chief directors and institutional heads to focus on practical interventions capable of improving staff morale immediately.
