Former Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, delivered a compelling speech at Harvard University on Saturday, February 15, emphasising the transformative power of digitalisation in Africa’s economic development.
Addressing participants at the 2025 African Development Conference, he highlighted the continent’s historical struggles with industrial revolutions and underscored the urgency of embracing emerging technologies to drive progress.
“Africa does not lack talent. What we lack is deliberateness, leadership, and investment to create the ecosystems where innovations and innovators thrive,” he stated.
Dr Bawumia elaborated on Ghana’s digital transformation journey, detailing how the government has leveraged technology to formalise the economy and improve service delivery.
He highlighted key initiatives such as the issuance of the biometric Ghana Card, the implementation of a digital property address system, and the introduction of mobile money interoperability.
“For over 60 years after independence, Ghana had a largely informal system. Today, we are building a formal, systems- and data-based economy to compete in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he explained.
He also touched on Ghana’s advancements in financial inclusion, healthcare, and agriculture through digital solutions.
Dr Bawumia pointed out that mobile money interoperability has enabled financial inclusion for over 90% of Ghana’s adult population, making it the only country in Africa with such widespread access.
Additionally, he spoke about the country’s pioneering efforts in digitalising medical records and deploying drones to deliver essential medical supplies.
“Ghana now has the largest medical drone delivery service in the world, saving countless lives in remote areas,” he noted.
On the broader African landscape, Dr Bawumia advocated for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) digital trade protocol to unlock economic potential.
He stressed the importance of a unified digital market to support small and medium enterprises, which make up 90% of Africa’s businesses.
“The digital economy holds the key to unlocking Africa’s vast potential and creating jobs for the youth,” he said, urging policymakers to act decisively.
Dr Bawumia reiterated the need for Africa to embrace digitalisation as a tool for economic transformation.
He expressed confidence that with the right policies, leadership, and investment, Africa could leapfrog traditional development models and compete globally.
“We must believe that we can leapfrog advanced nations in many areas if we put our minds to it,” he stated, calling for a collective effort to harness technology for sustainable growth.
