As Ghana continues its progress towards becoming a major economic centre in Africa, Valentina Mintah of WestBlue Consulting believes the country could continue on to become a digital hub for the region. She bases her claims off the conducive policy and business environment in the country.
Political stability and an increasingly vibrant business environment are driving Ghana towards substantial economic growth. The country has emerged as an attractive destination for tourists and businesses alike, and is currently engaged in efforts towards developing its business environment.
The focus has been on developing the domestic business environment, particularly by fostering a supportive environment for the small and medium enterprises sector. The private and public sectors alike have been involved in these efforts, investing in education and skill-development.
Founder of Westblue Consulting Valentina Mintah believes that the country could add extra impetus to this growth by tapping into the digitalisation drive across Africa. The continent is set to have more than 1 billion internet connections by as early as 2021, enabling businesses to move an increasing share of their operations online.
“Though Ghana has to improve in some areas, with the stability that we have and our geographical location, we are strategically positioned to become a digital hub. We need a shared vision, backed by strong leadership, a blueprint with a robust plan to ensure outcomes are predictable and sustainable and not accidental successes that cannot be replicated,” said Mintah.
Mintah calls for this potential to be turned into a national objective, running through all segments of society. She was speaking at a two-day Ghana Digital Roadmap Conference, which was organised by the government of Ghana in Accra recently, and emphasised the role that technology had to play in the country’s future.
“Technology is only an enabler and not a driver and therefore we need to understand what problems we need to solve, understand the processes, the people and policy environment first, to avoid just throwing expensive technology solutions at our problems,” she added.
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