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Stakeholders in the innovation, technology and digitalisation sector have been urged to ensure that the benefits of technology and digitisation are inclusive and reach every corner of society.
A Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ama Pomaa Boateng, who gave the advice said in innovating, actors must not only see progress as the ultimate goal but must also strive to bridge the digital divide ensuring that every citizen reaped its benefit.
“The ministry firmly believes that innovation should not be constrained to any particular geographical area.
By extending our reach to various regions, we are not only fostering a sense of unity but also ensuring that every corner of Ghana has an equal opportunity to thrive in the digital era ,” she added.
She was speaking on behalf of the sector minister, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, at the opening ceremony of the third edition of the Ghana Digital Innovation Week (GDIW) held in Accra yesterday.
The GDIW is a nationwide series of events showcasing and celebrating milestones in the nation’s digital innovation ecosystem.
Launched in 2021, it seeks to identify common national vision that drives the country’s digital innovation agenda, generate wide interest, and prompt concrete action.
This year’s celebration was on the theme; “Innovate, Collaborate, Elevate; Shaping the Future of Endless Potential” and brought together private sector, academia, policymakers, Development Partners, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), diplomats and business leaders among others.
As part of the GDIW, there will be panel sessions and high-level roundtable, hands-on training, meet-ups, launch of programmes, among others.
Ms Boateng said the digital revolution was not merely about adopting new gadgets but also about transforming industries, governance and society itself.
She, therefore, called for responsible innovations saying that driving the nation forward as a beacon of progress and prosperity, stakeholders must also remain vigilant about the ethical implications of technology.
“As we innovate, we must do so responsibly ensuring that the benefits of technology are harnessed for the collective good whiles safeguarding against potential pitfalls,” Ms stressed.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr Kwaku Afriyie, noted that a recent report had the market value of frontier technologies at $1.5 trillion in 2020, projected to reach $9.5 trillion by 2030.
He, therefore, stated that the ministry with support from the Office of the Vice President was developing initiatives that would enable the country to share in that market value and become players rather than merely playgrounds for digital revolutions.
“I am particularly impressed by the great innovations exhibited by our innovators in the past two years of the GDIW.
Even more exciting are the sessions and topics scheduled for this year,” Dr Afriyie. stressed.
The Acting Head of Development Cooperation as the German Embassy in Accra, Ramona Simon, said the Ghana’s innovation and digitisation ecosystem stood at the forefront of the continent’s digital transformation.
“With multiple strides in digital governance, infrastructure and finance, the country is actively leveraging technology to drive inclusive economic growth, enhance efficiency in service delivery and establish itself as a leading player in the global digital landscape,” she added.
