Former Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has outlined the country’s strides in digital transformation, positioning it as a leader in Africa‘s digital revolution. Speaking at the Harvard Business School’s Africa Development Conference, Dr. Bawumia detailed Ghana’s advancements in mobile money interoperability, data integration, and digital public services. In his address, Dr. Bawumia emphasized the importance of digitalization in the 21st century, noting that artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IOT) are reshaping economies worldwide. He stressed that Africa must capitalize on the opportunities presented by the fourth industrial revolution to avoid being left behind, as was the case in previous industrial revolutions.
“Africa missed the first industrial revolution which saw the transition from manual small-scale production to mechanized production in agriculture and goods like textiles, mostly powered by steam and coal energy. Then we missed the second industrial revolution where the widespread use of electricity powered mass production and assembly lines. The third industrial revolution, which was set off by the introduction of computers also did not see Africa jump on and develop like others,” Dr. Bawumia said.
“We are now in the fourth industrial revolution where the technologies have come together in a global network to create the internet, which is the greatest machine ever created by mankind, and using that to also energise tools and equipment to make them ‘smart’ to create the internet of things (IOT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which have opened up amazing possibilities with no end in sight.”
“The Internet is the greatest machine ever created by mankind, and it has energized tools and equipment to make them smart,” he stated. “Artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things have opened up amazing possibilities with no end in sight.”
A key focus of his speech was Ghana’s pioneering efforts in digital integration, inspired by Estonia’s successful e-governance model. He revealed that Ghana had implemented the Citizens’ App Data Interoperability System (CADIS), which integrates various government databases, including national identification, tax, driver licensing, passport, health insurance, and mobile SIM registrations.
“Ghana is probably the best in the world at integrating government databases,” Dr. Bawumia noted, explaining that the system enhances efficiency in service delivery and governance.
He also cited Ghana’s global leadership in mobile money interoperability, which has enabled seamless transactions between bank accounts and mobile wallets. As a result, Ghana has achieved over 90% financial inclusion, making it the only African country with universal access to financial services.
The data shows that Ghana is the fastest-growing mobile money market in Africa, with a 40-fold increase in transactions over the past eight years,” he added. “We are also among the few countries globally with a fully interoperable multiple instant payment system.”
