Accra, 10 May 2022 (TDI): The Ghanaian government is working on promoting the development of a digital Ghana in 2022. Since the beginning of the second quarter in 2022, Ghana has made great progress in the digital field.
There are two achievements with great significance. These two mainly focus on cyber security and the further use of information technologies in transforming service operations.
Moreover, the accomplishments also show how the Ghanaian government works with other African countries and also international organizations.
Collaboration with African Countries on Cyber Security
Earlier this year, Accra, the capital of Ghana witnessed the Africa Union (AU) Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE). Representatives from the Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique called on Ghana Cyber Security Authority (CSA) for cooperation and support in cyber security.
This does not only show the trend that African countries are working together on cyber security but also implies that cyber security is becoming a more and more significant cooperation area for building bilateral relations between countries in the African continent.
Lourino Alberto Chemane, the Chairman of the Board of National Information and Communication Technology of Mozambique expressed his opinion.
According to Lourino, Mozambique is interested in learning from Ghana’s experience in cyber security development and establishing a relationship with the Ghana Cyber Security Authority.
Meanwhile, Lamin Tunkara, the Managing Director of the Gambia Telecommunications Company Limited conveyed a similar perspective. Lamin said that the Gambia is confident in Ghana’s efforts to develop cyber security and hopes that Ghanaian cyber experts would train personnel in the Gambia.
Moreover, Amara Brewah, the Deputy Director-General of the National Telecommunications Commission of Sierra Leone also showed similar interest.
Amara especially mentioned the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), Critical Information Infrastructure Protection (CII), Child Online Protection (COP), and the Safer Digital Ghana plan which Ghana has launched before.
The declaration from representatives of other African countries showed Ghana’s progress in cyber security. Furthermore, such focused recommendations contain the potential for African countries to work together on cyber security in the near future.
Ghana e-Transform Project, Contributes to the Information Technologies
Ghana e-Transform Project aims to increase the efficiency and coverage of government service delivery using information and communication technologies (ICT).
The Project includes four macro components. They are enabling environment for electronic government and business, upgrading the national identification system as well as the online verification services, scaling up of e-Services and Applications, and supporting project management.
The launch of the Ghana e-Transform Project shows the government’s foresight. Besides, the exercise and the implementation of the project tell us how the Ghanaian government makes full use of resources from multiple levels.
For instance, on April 29 this year, the World Bank just approved 200 million USD in funding to support the development of a digital Ghana.
The fund will contribute to increasing broadband access and improving the efficiency and quality of digital public services. Moreover, the fund will also enhance the digital innovation ecosystem, and create better jobs and economic opportunities in Ghana.
The Ghana e-Transform Project is designed to increase access to mobile Internet and fixed broadband services for 6 million people. Encouraging private sector investment in underdeveloped rural areas will make a great difference.
A Digital Ghana with a Bright Future
In recent years, the digital sector in Ghana has developed quickly with the best performance compared with most other sectors.
The digital sector has grown on average by 19 percent per year between 2014 and 2020. Also, the African digital sector is expected to grow to over 300 billion dollars by 2025. Such a positive trend across the continent offers Ghana a supportive external environment.
In addition, to accelerate the digital transformation, the government of Ghana has made comprehensive policies with flexible plans. Such a policy system at least includes digital financial inclusion, regulation, Digital payment platforms, and so on.
As a star in digital development in sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana is moving forward rapidly on the right track.
