The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has touted the success of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government when it comes to digitalising Ghana’s economy.

According to him, the Akufo-Addo government identified technology and innovation as a key instrument to transform the country, which is why it made digitalisation one of its central policies.

Dr Bawumia, who made these remarks as he was praising Estonia as one of the most digitalised countries in the world, at the opening ceremony of the 75th Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC) at the University of Ghana, said that the investments made by his government have made Ghana the fastest growing country on the African continent in the area of digitalisation.

“Governments since independence have by and large not focused on the underlining system that underpins economic activities. Our goal from the assumption of office was to quickly transform our economy by leveraging on technology innovations as a means to leapfrog the development process, overcome the basic problems and improve both economic and public sector governance.

“… we decided to do something different and this is why digitalisation has become a major area of focus of our government. Our strategy since 2017 has been to build a new system through digitalisation and therefore to build a data-based economy,” he said.

Dr Bawumia added that the investment the government has made in its digitalisation agenda, which he has been championing, has made Ghana “the faster digitalising economy in Africa.”

The vice president said that digitisation would help ensure that no Ghanaian is left behind as the country makes progress in its development process.

Dr Bawumia opened the 2024 ANYSC on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, which is being held under the theme: “Nurturing Resilience: Adopting Technology and Embracing Humanism for Sustainable Development,” and would end on Thursday, January 11, 2024.

Professor Katrin Niglas, the Vice-Rector for Research at Tallinn University, Estonia, delivered the keynote address at the opening of the school and conference at the Great Hall, UG.

Professor Niglas, in her address, emphasised how the embracement of technology by Estonia in every sector, including education, helped make the small European country one of the most developed countries in the world.

The ANYSC is an annual event that brings together academics, policymakers, business leaders, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to discuss critical issues affecting the African Continent and Ghana in particular.

This year’s theme focuses on the need to develop resilience, adapt to leverage technology and promote human values and dignity to propel the ended development and progress in Ghana and will be organized around the following sub-themes:

1. Nurturing resilience and leveraging on technology to achieve sustainable growth

2. Promoting education for sustainable development.

3. Towards the attainment of a digital economy: Global Perspectives.

4. New local government system, election 2024, security and peacebuilding.

The deliberations at the conference will be documented and presented to the appropriate authorities for policy interventions.

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