Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese firm Whale Cloud to develop innovative cities in Ghana.

The agreement was signed by Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful, who is leading Ghana’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) drive and Ben Zhou, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Whale Cloud, at the headquarters of Alibaba Group in China.

The agreement is expected to strength mutual cooperation between Ghana and China to promote innovation and smart city development in Ghana.

The development of the innovative cities is expected to be realized by applying the cutting-edge technologies and solutions developed by Whale Cloud and Alibaba Cloud.

The MoU has been signed at a time when Accra, the capital of Ghana, is undergoing rapid urbanization, creating challenges for city administrators and residents.

Under the MoU, Whale Cloud would form a strategic partnership with Ministry of Communications of Ghana and deliver its Innovative City solutions to resolve these challenges.

Using cloud architecture, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and Artificial Intelligence technology jointly developed by Whale Cloud and Alibaba Cloud, the Innovative City solutions would help launch rich industrial applications quickly on the platform of a unified operation center, including e-Government, ET City Brain, Mobile Payment and a Unified Media Center etc., which can help the government to solve urban governance issues with the support of machine learning and AI algorithms

It can also improve governance and lower the costs of government operations in order to transform Accra into an innovative and digitalized city.

Whale Cloud and Alibaba Cloud would also provide strategic and professional advice to transform the e-commerce landscape and help e-commerce business development in Ghana to flourish.

Commenting on the deal, Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said, “Building connected and tech-driven urban areas is key to Ghana’s rapid urbanization. We look forward to working with Whale Cloud and Alibaba Cloud to utilise ICT innovations to improve the lives of citizens, and promote efficiency, transparency, expedite the provision of services to citizens while reducing the opportunities for corruption. “We will work with tried and tested partners like Alibaba to make Ghana a digital and dynamic country for citizens, businesses and investors.”

On his part, Mr. Zhou indicated that “we’re pleased to partner with the Ministry of Communications of the Republic of Ghana and leverage our expertise and industry-proven solutions to make Accra an innovative city.

“We will help Ghana to lead the way in digital economy and accelerate its journey towards sustainable prosperity.”