The Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation (MESTI) and GIZ Ghana, has inaugurated the Ghana Digital Innovation Week (GDIW) at the Accra International Centre.
The Deputy Minister, Ms Ama Pomaa Boateng, who spoke on behalf of the Sector Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, thanked all partners for their dedication to the growth of the GDIW since its inception in 2021, noting that the event was here to stay.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful stated that she was “profoundly inspired by the wave of technological advancements and the growing culture of innovation in our nation. Our commitment to harnessing the power of technology for the betterment of our society is unwavering”.
She further highlighted that the theme ‘Innovate, Collaborate, Elevate: Shaping a Future of Endless Potential’ embodies the spirit and essence of our collective journey toward a future where endless possibilities await.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful also stressed the need for teamwork, saying that in this fast-changing digital world, nothing exists in isolation, whether it is an entity, a person, or an innovation. “Through technology, we enhance efficiency, empower our citizens, and connect with the world. That is why we have developed the Ghana Digital Economy Policy which has to be laid before Cabinet for approval. This policy is building upon the foundations laid by the ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) policy developed in 2003. This forward-looking policy zeroes in on vital areas including Digital Infrastructure, Data-driven Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Data Protection, User Privacy, Cybersecurity, Digital Literacy and Skills. It is a comprehensive approach that ensures inclusivity and economic growth for all”, she explained.
Partnered with GIZ and the World Bank, the Ministry has set up a Donor Coordination Group aiming to align the various activities in the ICT field, since platform is a key link for the Ministry’s valued partners, and provides a common space to coordinate efforts, pool resources and increase the effect of its joint actions.
The Minister for MESTI, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie stated that the final outcome on employment would rely on the ultimate balance between the extinction of old jobs and the creation of new ones. “We have witnessed this in the transport sector with the advent of companies like Uber, Bolt and our own Ghanaian companies like X-ride and Shaxi Ghana. Jobs have also evolved in the Gig economy, with the convergence in job markets through computer programming and coding, digital design, medical diagnostics, online commerce, among others. We know that Ghana is contributing its share of services to this economy” he mentioned.
Dr. Afriyie also added that MESTI had recently finished updating the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, with a special emphasis on frontier technologies, and also the Ghana Digital Economy Policy and the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation. He said that these policies would further enhance citizens’ abilities to innovate in the digital economy.