By Juliet Aguiar DUGBARTEY
The Ghana Digital Innovation Week (GDIW) 2024 has been held in Takoradi on the theme ‘Innovate together; collaborating for digital transformation and impact’.
The GDIW 2024 aims to celebrate the accomplishment of the domestic digital innovation ecosystem and build momentum toward a common vision for its future development.
The event, hosted by Duapa Werkspace – a business incubation and technology hub in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, brought together innovators, entrepreneurs, policy-makers, academics and industry leaders to explore the opportunities and challenges within the digital innovation landscape.
It highlighted innovative digital solutions from local start-ups and tech companies that address key challenges in various sectors such as finance, environment, education as well as health.
Also, it encouraged knowledge sharing, strengthened collaboration, empowered the youth and entrepreneurs with the right knowledge to undertake daily activities.
The event featured panel discussions on key topics, including overcoming barriers to digital transformation in Ghana, the future of work in a digital economy, and leveraging digital tools for sustainable development.
Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister, speaking at the event, pointed out that the digital trends are evolving from being an option to becoming a necessity in all industries, whether it is education, health, agriculture, hospitality, governance and commerce.
He said in the context of the region, digital transformation is not merely a strategy for modernisation but an essential tool for development.
“We have a unique opportunity to harness technology to solve region-specific challenges, such as improving access to quality healthcare in remote areas, digitising our industries and creating smarter cities that align with the needs of our growing urban population,” he said.
“Through technology, sanitation management has seen a boost through the e-tankas model, an electronic platform that allows for the management of sanitation in the region and a revenue-generating mechanism for the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies,” the regional minister said.
He added that the region is the first to introduce e-tankas application for sanitation management. “I envisage that very soon the e-tankas will be rolled out as a national policy for sanitation management across the country.”
According to Mr. Darko-Mensah, digitisation and innovation is about the present and the future. “Phone can be used to innovate and not just about making and receiving a phone call.”
He called for collaboration and continuity of businesses, especially in the private sector for sustainability. “Collaboration will give us best results; individual strength is inadequate to maintain business.”
Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman – Ghana Hub Network, mentioned that one of the cornerstones of success in digital transformation is strong partnerships.
He commended government for its forward-looking policies, and the private sector for the investments being made in the technology and innovation space.
“But there is more work to be done,” he added, calling for “partnerships among government agencies, international organisations and businesses to collaborate closely with hubs across the region, addressing specific local development context projects and market-creating innovations”.
Such partnerships, he said, can facilitate investments in research and development, and therefore encourage the sharing of knowledge as a means of fostering an environment where innovation can flourish.
“While academia supports the ecosystem with research and knowledge, the local government aligns programmes with inputs from innovation, business and technology hubs in the region to encourage innovation, which is pivotal in achieving the level of digital transformation we all envision,” Mr. Adu-Gyamfi said.
He continued: “As the Ghana Hubs Network, we are committed to ensuring that our programmes reach the farthest corners of the country, including our rural areas, to bridge the digital divide.
“We believe that the youth in these regions are equally capable of driving change provided they have the right resources and platforms.
David Ofori, Director of Innovation at the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), explained that the outfit nurtures job creators and not job seekers. “The day and time when government offers job is dead and gone; you need to innovate and partner with other people to support and grow your business,” he said.
