How Ghana and Gambia are planning to bolster their digital economies
Ghana and Gambia are turning to digital economies as legacy economies lose their favor. The two countries are members of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), which aims to connect Africa and Gulf countries to achieve a common digital economy agenda. Other members of the DCO include Nigeria, Rwanda, Morocco, Djibouti, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, and Pakistan. Gambia is facing considerable challenges in its pursuit of digital transformation, including slow and expensive mobile internet and limited penetration. However, the country's Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Ousman Bah, stated that his country is moving towards a skill-based economy and seeking to collaborate with other nations to share tech knowledge. In contrast, Ghana has experienced significant growth in digital technology and now ranks among the leaders in sub-Saharan Africa in tech adoption. The country is focusing on digitizing its fiscal revenue collection, supporting a cashless society, improving online education delivery, investing in the national fiber network, and promoting digital literacy. The African continent currently lacks a common agenda for technology, with organizations such as the African Union and regional organizations lacking clear strategies on how members can plug into the global digital economy. By joining the DCO, African countries could benefit from exchange programs, digital skills training, data protection, intellectual copyright sharing, regulation, taxation, and entrepreneurship.
Read the full article on Quartz-Africa
