University of Ghana partners with Google to secure 96,000 Gemini for Education licences

University of Ghana (UG) has entered a partnership with Google to obtain more than 96,000 licences for the company’s Gemini for Education platform. The licences are intended to strengthen AI‑related digital skills, research capacity and teaching across the university.

The agreement was announced during a two‑day Gemini AI training workshop hosted on campus. Mr Emmanuel Adeniyi, Google’s Higher Education Lead for West and Central Africa, said employers are increasingly requiring AI competence from graduates.

“More and more employers are asking and redefining what an employable graduate looks like. For many of them, they are prioritising students who show evidence of competencies in Artificial Intelligence,” Adeniyi said.

“So I think it is important, as you see with many universities like the University of Ghana, to ensure that students are supported to navigate the era of Artificial Intelligence.”

Google described Gemini as built on learning‑science principles and equipped with enterprise‑grade data protection. Faculty and administrative staff from various colleges received practical instruction on integrating AI tools responsibly into academic and administrative workflows.

University response

Professor Sandow Mark Yidana, Provost of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, said the partnership aligns with UG’s strategic vision. He urged trained staff to act as AI champions within their units and to cascade the training to colleagues and students.

“As we embrace Artificial Intelligence, we must remain mindful of the associated responsibilities,” Yidana warned.

“AI‑generated information must be critically evaluated, while issues related to data protection, intellectual property, respect for confidentiality, and academic integrity must be carefully managed in line with our AI policy.”

The deal follows a June 2026 memorandum of understanding between Ghana’s Ministry of Education and Google, which aims to embed AI across Ghanaian classrooms, provide curriculum‑aligned content, teacher training and zero‑rated access, especially in rural areas. Google is also collaborating with the Ghana Digital Innovation Hub to develop speech‑recognition tools for local languages such as Twi, Ewe, Dagbani and Hausa.

UG joins a growing list of African institutions adopting Gemini at scale; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology secured 95,000 Google Workspace for Education licences earlier in 2026. The broader initiative is part of Google’s partnership with the African Union Commission to roll out Gemini for Education and NotebookLM across all 55 member states, targeting training for at least 150,000 students and faculty by 2027.

UG’s AI policy governs the use of third‑party AI platforms, including Gemini, and emphasizes data protection, intellectual property and academic integrity. The university confirmed that the partnership is operational and that training continues as part of its ongoing digital transformation.