Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has indicated that making Ghana the digital for Africa is part of his vison for the country when he becomes president.
After formally submitting his documents to contest the flag-bearer position of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Accra, he noted the need to elect someone with vision and a track record.
In his address to hundreds of supporters who turned up in a show of support for his candidature, he said his quest is to among other things help better the people’s lives.
This pursuit for change, which is hinged on the foundation put in place so far, he said, will propel the country to the next level of development.
He said he desires to see a country that leverages technology, data, and systems for inclusive economic growth.
“I want to make Ghana the digital hub of Africa, bridge the digital divide, and apply digital technology and artificial intelligence for the transformation of healthcare, education, and public service delivery among others,” he stated.
Calling for support to lead his party, Dr. Bawumia said he envisions a country where the educational system focuses on STEM, robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital and vocational skills to meet the demands of the 4th industrial revolution.
Furthermore, he expressed his vision to realise food security in the shortest possible time through the application of science, data, artificial intelligence, satellite technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and irrigation to commercial farming.
“We also want to complete the ongoing digitalization of data on all farms across the sixteen regions,” he added.
He declared his quest to realise a country that can maximize the benefits of its natural resources – like gold, lithium, and other minerals – through policies like value addition, setting up an LBMA-certified gold refinery, enhancing the gold for oil policy, and dedication to specific gold concessions to the Bank of Ghana to enhance the accumulation of gold reserves.
“I want to see Ghana as an industrialised nation. I want to entrench and enhance the current strategy of industrialisation that we have embarked on, and introduce new technology like digital manufacturing for the manufacturing of spare parts, syringes, and other equipment.”
Also, the Vice President indicated building a country with robust fiscal discipline in the management of public finances to sustainably and significantly reduce interest rates.
He said this will empower the local business sector, especially startups, and SMEs, to drive investment and growth, in addition to providing incentives for the private sector to replace the government in the provision of a significant amount of infrastructure and many other services.
Dr. Bawumia stated that he has a compelling vision for Ghana’s future. “It is possible for Ghana to be like the advanced nations if we put our minds and energies into it.
“With the technologies available, the new ones that are emerging, and a renewed mindset, we can leapfrog impossibilities and make the unimaginable possible. It is possible to break the eight to continue with the transformational policies we have started. It is possible!”
It is against this background, among others, that he said he has joined the contest to become a flag-bearer and presidential candidate for the election in 2024.