INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Mobile Technology
GSMA issues report on Ghana’s
mobile-enabled digital
transformation
A
t a high-level round-table
between the Government of
Ghana and mobile industry
leaders, the GSMA launched a
report in partnership with the UK’s
Department for International
Development (DFID), examining
the transformative opportunities
presented by mobile-enabled digital
services in Ghana. The meeting, held
in partnership with DFID, the Ghana
Chamber of Telecommunications and
the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), discussed how
Ghana can advance digital and
economic inclusion through mobile.
Participants signed a communiqué
committing to maximise opportunities
for mobile to support the UN
Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) in a range of areas including
agriculture, gender equality,
financial service access, innovation
and entrepreneurship.
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“Mobile offers the most widespread
and inclusive means of accessing the
Internet and digital technologies, which
are vital to the Ghanaian economy and
its growth in an increasingly connected
world,” said Akinwale Goodluck,
Head of sub-Saharan Africa, GSMA.
“Mobile is the key to unlocking digital
transformation and I am very excited
about future potential and to see our
member operators building on the good
work already started.”
“Few other technologies have grown so
fast and have had so much to offer in
terms of new ways of delivering services,
stimulating businesses and enabling
citizens to have their voices heard and
countries to leapfrog development
models to achieve their goals. UNDP
is very pleased to partner with the
GSMA and UK Government in this
dialogue to design solutions and explore
opportunities to do this faster and more
sustainably in Ghana,” said, UNDP
Ghana Country Director, Dominic Sam.
Report findings
The report highlights how the mobile
industry and the Ghanaian government
can work together to support social
and economic progress in the country.
Ghana is already proactively supporting
the SDGs and has incorporated them
into the country’s national development
agenda with progress overseen by the
president. Government commitment
to the SDGs reflects the fact that whilst
Ghana is a fast-growing economy and
has made progress on many fronts,
development challenges and gaps in
access to basic services persist.
Given the large number of people who
have access to mobile phones, mobile
platforms are uniquely placed to support
the SDGs. The industry has connected
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