A 61-year-old construction worker in Ghana’s Ashanti Region has returned to the classroom, enrolled in a government digital skills initiative and determined to learn how to code.
Ali Issaka is among the thousands of Ghanaians who have signed up for the One Million Coders Programme, a national initiative designed to equip one million citizens with practical coding and digital technology skills to boost employability, entrepreneurship and participation in the digital economy.
Why Ali Decided to Go Back to School
While many people his age are winding down their working lives, Ali has chosen a different path. His motivation is rooted in an interest in information technology that took hold long after he left school, a passion he never had the opportunity to pursue at the time.
“I have an interest in it, and it is something which came after I left school,” he said. “I always wanted to learn it to improve upon my daily life. Knowledge too, there is no end in acquiring knowledge, no age limit in acquiring knowledge.”
For Ali, the programme is not about changing careers outright. It is about broadening his understanding, picking up skills that could make his everyday life and work more efficient, and proving to himself that the desire to grow does not come with an expiry date.
One Million Coders Programme Draws Diverse Participants
The One Million Coders Programme has attracted participants from a wide range of backgrounds and ages across the Ashanti Region, each enrolling for their own reasons.
Some are young graduates seeking an edge in the job market, while others, like Ali, are seasoned workers looking to add a new dimension to their lives.
The programme was designed to address the growing demand for digital skills across Ghana, giving ordinary citizens access to training that was once largely limited to those who could afford private institutions or university education.
By targeting one million Ghanaians, the initiative aims to create a broader base of digitally literate citizens capable of contributing to and benefiting from a fast-changing economy.
Ali’s story stands out not because he is exceptional in ambition, but because he embodies a quiet, determined kind of courage.
Sitting in a classroom surrounded by participants who could be his children, he is focused, engaged and unbothered by the gap in age or experience.
His presence in that classroom sends a clear message: the will to learn belongs to no particular generation.
