Following the President John Dramani Mahama’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Member of Parliament for Mion, Misbahu Adams Mahama, has lauded the government’s performance and expressed strong support for the proposed introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the basic school curriculum.
Mahama described the President’s address as a comprehensive account of the administration’s stewardship, noting that it fulfilled the constitutional mandate to brief the House on the nation’s progress and future aspirations.
The Mion lawmaker highlighted several key economic indicators mentioned by the President, particularly the government’s success in fiscal policy. He noted that achieving a primary balance surplus significantly above the initial 1.5% target demonstrates robust management.
“It is clear that the government is performing as far as fiscal policy is concerned,” the MP stated, pointing to the remarkable reduction of inflation to 3.8% and the 40% appreciation of the Cedi against the Dollar over the past year as “tremendous boosts” to the national economy.
In the social sector, Mahama commended the enhancement of the School Feeding Programme, noting that the increase in the daily feeding grant per child from GH₵8.00 to GH₵15.00 has stabilized enrollment. He also praised the timely payments to caterers, stating, “These are all things that are commendable, and I want to applaud the government for that.”
Addressing the President’s announcement regarding AI in basic education, Misbahu Mahama acknowledged the concerns that technology might encourage “cognitive laziness” among students. However, he argued that Ghana cannot afford to be left behind by the global technological shift.
“AI is a double-edged sword that we must manage, but we should not avoid it. There is a saying: ‘Catch them young and they shall never depart.’ By introducing it at the basic level, we ensure our children are prepared for a world that is already going AI.”
The MP emphasized that tasks that previously took researchers a year or analysts a week can now be completed with the “press of a button.” He maintained that while the technology has come to stay, the curriculum must be designed to expose students to both its immense benefits and its inherent dangers.
When asked how the government can mitigate the negative impact of AI on young minds, he suggested a strategy rooted in education and technical safeguards.
“For starters, it is about education. We need to shape the mindset of the children to understand that while AI is a helpful servant, it can be a bad master, much like fire,” he explained.
He further proposed that the rollout should include technical restrictions to ensure the technology remains age-appropriate.
“Even though I am not an IT expert, I believe we should implement filters or controls on these gadgets and apps. This would limit exposure based on age, guiding the children as they grow so they can achieve the best of AI while avoiding the negative tendencies that could harm them.”
Story By: Eugenia Ewoenam Osei
