Indigenizing a Developing Country’s Digitization Agenda: Re-visioning ICTs in Ghana

Abstract

Globally countries have been very receptive to digitization. As a result, various policies have been developed in order to lead this trajectory, outcomes of which have seen investment in infrastructure, expansion of markets, increased tax revenues and reforms in everyday life. The ITU Connect 2030, the African Union Agenda 2063 and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, are major driving forces for the digital economy which seek to synthesize the aspirations of the people. Most countries in Africa have achieved close to 100 percent mobile voice penetration with mobile internet following a similar trajectory. Significant gaps remain however in the continent’s household internet access and digital data literacy. The situation has been made worse by the impacts of Covid-19 on people’s lives. One response of Policymakers is to seek to expedite policies toward an integrated digital economy where the various technological initiatives converge to achieve a sustainable whole. However, for technology-related initiatives to function effectively, they must be accompanied by an enabling policy and regulatory environment. While digital technologies continue to transform people’s well-being through the convergence of information communications technologies (ICTs) and reorganization of various sectors of the economy, serious gaps and questions remain in the areas of indigenous innovation and ownership, and collaborative approach to tackling the challenges of access, affordability, knowledge and capacity. This chapter attempts to critically assess the Ghanaian government’s digitization efforts against global digital inclusion best practices. Specific questions that the chapter seeks to address include, what strategies have the government adopted to ensure digitization and digital inclusion? And then to what extent do these digitization strategies reflect digital inclusion best practices?