Purpose <p>This study probes the factors influencing citizen adoption of the Ghana Citizen Mobile Apps for Public Services (GCMA-PS). Since the unveiling of the GCMA-PS, no study has empirically validated the adoption of this m-government app form, which is a momentous research gap that this study bridges.</p> Theoretical framework <p>The study extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) by integrating three citizen-centric constructs, technology literacy, information literacy, and awareness creation, to capture contextual issues facing m-governance diffusion.</p> Design/methodology <p>This study employed a quantitative survey design, collecting data from 602 Ghanaian citizens, and the responses were analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in Smart PLS.</p> Findings <p>The results indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence significantly influence citizens’ intentions to adopt the GCMA-PS. Also, awareness creation is a significant direct predictor, while technology literacy positively influences both behavioral intention and the UTAUT core constructs of performance and effort expectancy.</p> Theoretical and practical implications <p>This study establishes that technology literacy and awareness creation are critical determinants of m-government adoption in developing economies, guiding policymakers to prioritize targeted awareness campaigns and digital literacy investment.</p>