Bawumia's focus on digitalisation and AI necessary to take Ghana to the next level - Prof. Francis Owusu

Professor Francis Owusu, a Ghanaian Professor at the Department of Community and Regional Planning at Iowa State University, has stated that Dr. Bawumia's effort to promote digitalization in Ghana is commendable as it ensures that the productive capacities of the internet are harnessed for efficiency in various aspects of national development.

Speaking on the back of a public lecture on the book "Dr. Bawumia and the Modern Vice Presidency in Ghana" authored by Prof. Etse Sikanku and held at Iowa State University, Professor Francis Owusu said harnessing the power of digital technology, especially the internet, is a necessary requirement for Africa to take advantage of the next frontier of technology, which is artificial intelligence.

He said countries with strong internet connectivity and digital infrastructure can take advantage to innovate and improve their capacities in many aspects.

He noted, for instance, that strong digitalization infrastructure is a basis for not just innovation but efficiency nationally.

Externally, it also gives a nation better opportunities to engage with the outside world since technological innovation is a major mechanism around which the world functions. This would also provide more job opportunities and markets for Ghanaians.

In this regard, he said it is important to have a clear internet infrastructural and digital foundation, which is what Dr. Bawumia has been committed to and deserves commendation for highlighting and making a major issue of concern.

"It helps to move the country forward in terms of allowing internal processes to be efficient and allows the country to engage externally. Data centers for machine learning and artificial intelligence are all based on having access to internet capabilities."

He said with the right effort, Ghana and other African countries can become important centers of global production if they take advantage of artificial intelligence, which is the next frontier of innovation for productive purposes.

He added that Dr. Bawumia's efforts in making sure the right foundations are laid are laudable and should be commended.

Prof. Sikanku's book examines Dr. Bawumia's contribution to the evolutionary role of the Vice President, highlighting the fact that Dr. Bawumia has contributed in a major way to making the Vice Presidency a more productive office through his zeal, passion, commitment, and dedication to social progress through his digital advocacy and applications.

In the lecture, Dr. Sikanku emphasized that Dr. Bawumia has elevated the office of the Vice Presidency through his visibility, initiative, and spirited commitment in using the office as an instrument for innovation and social advancement.