Lecturer clashes with Bawumia over QR Code claim

Dr. Kobby Mensah, a lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), has contested assertions by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia that Ghana is the first country in Africa to adopt the Universal QR CODE payment system.

At the launch of the new payment system on November 20, 2020, Bawumia said with pride that Ghana has become the first country to implement the system.

"Today is a historic day because we are solving a major problem here in Ghana. It is also historic because Ghana will be the first country in Africa to launch a Quick Response (QR) code payment system," Dr. Bawumia said.

"Not only are we the first country in Africa, we are also, as far as I am aware, the third country in the world to launch a Quick Response Code after Singapore and India. However, Singapore and India, their QR codes only cater for bank customers. Ghana's QR code will cater for both bank and non-bank customers, that is those who use mobile money and have bank accounts. So in this regard, Ghana's QR Code is unique and it is the first of its kind in the world."

This statement was re-echoed by the Vice President at his National Building Update forum, prompting Dr. Kobby Mensah to react, in a bid to set the records straight on the matter.

Kobby Mensah said that Kenya and Nigeria adopted the system in 2016 hence the vice president’s claims are incorrect.

“Your excellency Mr. Vice President with all due respect QR Code payment has been in existence since 2016 in Nigeria and Kenya. Must I politely disagree that Ghana is not the first, please?”.

Some of his followers drew his attention to the fact that the systems in those countries differ from what Ghana has adopted but Kobby Mensah shared screenshots of publications in the two countries to corroborate his claims.

“Gh, a country where a significant number of youth fail to be inquisitive. QR code payment through bank and mobile payment interactivity has been in existence in other parts of Africa long ago before Ghana joined. I know this through the digital trust research we are doing. Learn!” he tweeted again.