Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on African policymakers to adopt a mindset of possibilities and embrace technology to drive economic transformation.
Speaking at the 27th Annual Conference of Beyond Borders: A Myth or a Mandate for Africa’s Progress? at Harvard University in Boston, Dr. Bawumia emphasized the need for Africa to leverage digitalization to accelerate development.
“Policymakers must act with a mindset of possibilities. We should embrace technology and not be intimidated by it. We must believe that we can leapfrog advanced nations in many areas if we put our minds to it,” he stated.
Dr. Bawumia highlighted Ghana’s economic evolution, pointing out the country’s historical reliance on an informal system for over 60 years after independence.
However, he noted that efforts are now being made to build a formal, data-driven economy capable of competing in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“Today, we are building formal systems and a database-driven economy to compete in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Our challenge is to use digitalization to solve current problems while laying the foundation for future jobs, leapfrogging from the Second to the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he added.
Dr. Bawumia’s remarks underscore the importance of technology-driven policies in Africa’s pursuit of economic transformation, urging governments to harness digitalization for growth, job creation, and global competitiveness.
Source: Citinewsroom