UK Partners TO Help Ghana Build Digital Base Map

Mr Iain Walker, the United Kingdom (UK) Ambassador to Ghana has said his country’s partners, such as Ordnance Survey, the world-leading mapping agency will support Ghana to build a digital base map.

He said the map would help create a new digitized land registry system, the first of its kind in Ghana, to clarify land ownership, and realize the many associated benefits.

Mr Walker made the remark at a two-day event held at the Accra Digital Centre organised by AB2020 and supported by the Ministry of Communications, the British High Commission and GIZ.

The event is the 6th edition of ‘Tech in Ghana’, the leading conference which brings together Ghana’s technology ecosystem for global knowledge sharing, valuable networking, and to showcase innovation.

It was on the theme: “Connecting our Global Network: People, Opportunities and Industries.”

The event was attended by players in the technological industry both locally and internationally and the sponsors included; Visa, KudiGo, Jumo, BlueSPACE Africa and MTN.

The Ambassador said the digital economy provided opportunities that African countries could use to promote growth to reduce poverty and create jobs, adding that it could boost the government’s “Ghana Beyond Aid” agenda.

Mr Walker said: “I am delighted that through the UK-Ghana Business Council, we are able to bring in UK expertise from the Government Digital Service, who are here this week to support a new partnership around the digitalization of government services. Their work in the UK has had a transformative impact on delivery of government services for the British people.”

He said the UK in addition stood side-by-side with Ghana to tap into expertise around the Commonwealth to drive its ambitions for the digital sector, adding that; “In September 2018, the UK and Ghana launched the Commonwealth-led Digital Finance Champions Group, which seeks to galvanise global momentum toward an inclusive and secure digital finance agenda.”

Mr Walker said there was more that the UK and Ghana could do together, to ensure that Ghanaians enjoyed digital access, tap into new digital platforms that offer efficient and cheaper services, access digital literacy skills and training, create jobs around the digital sector, and create made-in-Africa solutions.

“Together we can ensure that Ghana is not only a consumer of global technology but also a producer,” he said.

Mr Vincent Sowah Odotei, the Deputy Minister of Communications said ‘Tech in Ghana’ has served as a common platform for industry players to engage to make business ideas a reality and create opportunities for the youth.

He said the government through the Ministry targeted improving the livelihood of the people, such as the use of drones to transfer medical supplies to rural areas, the roll out of e-governance programmes and cyber security among others.

Mr Odotei emphasised the need for partnership between the government and the private sector to put in place creative and innovative measures that would improve economic and social wellbeing of the people, especially the youth.

The ‘Tech in Ghana’ is held twice a year – in the United Kingdom during ‘London Tech Week’ in June, and in Ghana, Accra in November.