Ghana positioned as digital gateway for Africa – Ursula

Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has reiterated government’s commitment to building strong partnerships and formulating policies for digital technologies that would drive the socio-economic development of the country.

In addition, she said Ghana’s achievement in the past years on digital transformation, as well as measures laid down by the Government for future practice put the country in a better shape to become digital gateway to the Africa continent.

She made this known at the Ministerial Roundtable Session, which precedes the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) in Bucharest, Romania.

The session under the theme “Building Better Digital Future” is aimed at providing an opportunity for high-level reflections and constructive exchange of views and institutional experiences from high-level representatives of various countries.

“In this respect, the Government of Ghana, led by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Co-Chair of the Group of Eminent Advocates for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and also a firm believer in the power of digital technology to drive socio-economic development, is actively implementing our digital Ghana agenda. This is intended to position Ghana as the digital gateway to the continent. Indeed, the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with the Secretariat headquartered in Ghana is a pointer to the African Continent-wide marketing strategy powered by digitalisation. We are therefore extending our digital infrastructure to our borders to enable seamless connection to our neighbours.”

The Minister further highlighted some of the Government initiatives that have been undertaken to accelerate digital transformation over the years.

She added, “Our Government has also introduced initiatives to narrow the digital divide and empower citizens to embrace the use of ICT. We are implementing a Rural Telephony project to connect over 3 million people. These previously unconnected people now have equal access to the innovations introduced by the Government in Ghana’s digital transformation journey.”

The Plenipotentiary Conference is the supreme decision-making body of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which meets once every four years to set the Union’s general policies, adopt the four-year strategic and financial plans, as well as elect the senior management team of the organization, the Member States of the Council, and the members of the Radio Regulations Board. This year’s conference dubbed PP-22 will be held in Bucharest, Romania, from 26 September to 14 October, 2022.

Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful also called for support as Ghana seeks re-election to the ITU Council for the 2023 to 2026 term, as well as the representation of Mr. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko for election to the Radio Regulations Board (RRB).

“Chairperson, Ghana, remains an active member of the ITU, fully committed to the work of the ITU Council, and we will continue to align our goals with the ITU strategic plan, which will be adopted here in Bucharest. Ghana considers the collaborative platforms initiated by the ITU and the various regional and global partnerships essential to the growth of not only the Africa Region but all Member States for our collective benefit. To this end, Ghana will continue to serve the ITU community, and as we seek reelection to the Council, we are counting on your vote and support to retain Ghana as a Council member to continue serving you diligently” she indicated.

Commending the Romania government for hosting the 2022 International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-2022) in Bucharest, the Hon. Minister stated that Ghana was fully committed to the strategic direction set by the ITU to ensure the universal connectivity that would propel the needed global digital transformation.

“Chairperson, Secretary General, Excellencies, Ghana is fully committed to the strategic direction set by the ITU to ensure the universal connectivity that will propel the needed global digital transformation. Closing the digital divide to facilitate equitable connectivity, which is vital to support the economic transformation of Ghana, is our primary objective. We are of the opinion that we can transform Covid19 from a global crisis to an opportunity through digital technology”.