Former Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has revealed the challenges he faced in championing digitalisation during his tenure, including ridicule from political opponents. Despite the skepticism, Dr. Bawumia maintained his commitment to leveraging technology as a tool for solving everyday problems and driving economic growth.
Speaking at the 27th Annual Conference of Beyond Borders: A Myth or a Mandate for Africa’s Progress? held at Harvard University in Boston, Dr. Bawumia highlighted the transformative role digitalisation has played in Ghana’s development and its potential to drive Africa’s economic transformation and global competitiveness.
“My focus on digitalisation as a vice president was the subject of ridicule by political opponents. But I stuck to my vision and set out to use digitalisation to solve the everyday problems faced by Ghanaians and, in so doing, build an engine for economic growth,” he stated.
Dr. Bawumia reflected on one of Ghana’s major economic challenges before the advent of digitalisation: the lack of a unique identification system. He explained that the introduction of the Ghana Card addressed this issue, providing a foundation for effective governance and economic planning.
“The most important challenge for our economy, as far as digitalisation was concerned, was that in Ghana, most people couldn’t be uniquely identified. It was possible to be born, live your entire life, die, and be buried in Ghana without there being an official record that you ever existed,” he remarked.
He noted that the Ghana Card has since become a critical component of Ghana’s digital infrastructure, facilitating efficient service delivery, financial inclusion, and improved governance.
Dr. Bawumia’s remarks underscored the importance of digital transformation in building resilient economies across Africa. Despite initial resistance, he reiterated that digitalisation remains a critical pillar for achieving economic growth and enhancing the continent’s global competitiveness.
His advocacy for digitalisation, which was once met with skepticism, has proven instrumental in addressing fundamental challenges and laying the groundwork for a sustainable, data-driven economy in Ghana. As African nations continue to explore digital solutions, Dr. Bawumia’s experience serves as a testament to the transformative power of technology in national development