How did we ever let Mahama to slip away? Part Two

Folks, the serialization of the article, "President Mahama's Massive Investment in digitalizing Ghana" by Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Dr. George Atta-Boateng continues.

Additional Benefits of the Impressive Digital Infrastructure Network


This Digital infrastructure has enhanced the penetration and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in all sectors of our economy: Education, Health, Transportation, and Agriculture among

Read full articleothers. It has also made the average Ghanaian more competitive with his or her counterparts in this digital revolution age, especially in the outsourcing job market.

As a result of these massive interventions in Ghana’s digital space:

1. Mobile networks in Ghana are leveraging on the rural fiber from Accra to Bawku and 4G/LTEs to provide last mile better data and voice services in several underserved communities, towns and cities across the country. This makes it possible for millions of residents (Farmers, students, teachers, entrepreneurs…) in cities, towns, rural and underserved communities to access social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. They are also able to do long distance video calls with their families and loved ones abroad.

2. Most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country are able to extend their coverage to businesses and homes through this network. For commercial purposes, Telco’s hardly extend their networks to communities with less number of residents. This deprives several Ghanaians access to internet and voice call services. But today, courtesy John Mahama, ISPs are able to bridge this digital gap and offer these services to residents and private businesses – restaurants, hotels, private schools and hospitals and homes.

3. The National Emergency Call number 112, was established. It is responding to critical needs of citizens and helping in the control, management and prevention of disasters. Additionally, it has proved useful in these COVID-19 times.

Since March 2020, this 112 number has recorded more than two million calls for all kinds of requests from citizens across the country.

4. Government has been networked (Flagstaff house, Ministries, Metropolitan, Municipal, District assemblies, quasi-government Agencies, etc.) through the LTE/4G and Fiber Networks for data and voice services. This project comes with significant annual cost reduction to the tune of about GHC 100 million; it also enhances the productivity of public and civil servants as they enjoy high speed internet connection and offer service to millions of Ghanaians.

5. The National Data Center network, is comprehensively addressing our data storage and security needs on the ‘.GH’ internet extension and exchange platform; which provides us with our unique domain names and Email resources as a country. In effect, all websites with the ‘. com.gh’ and ‘. gov.gh’ extensions emanate from this platform. This has maintained the security of public and private transactions, as well as the protection of data of the people of Ghana from unauthorized users.

6. Some private businesses in the financial, insurance, IT and E-Commerce industries can save millions of dollars annually by hosting and storing their data, websites/Apps, E-mails and other systems locally through the National Data Center.

7. Tertiary and Second Cycle institutions across the country have been automated for effective teaching and learning including distance learning at the tertiary level. In collaboration with the World Bank, 200 Senior High Schools were selected for this exercise between 2015 and 2016.

8. Public Wi-Fi services were activated in Accra on the back of the 300km radius Metro Fiber network. This initiative was piloted at Accra Technical University, Terminal-3 Airport and Tema Transport station in 2016.

9. Several enhanced Community Information Centers (eCICs) were constructed across the country not only to bridge the digital divide but also to improve the digital competencies of Ghana’s vibrant youth workforce. This has provided the digital space for many Ghanaians in deprived areas to apply for basic services such as birth certificates, passports, drivers’ license and register businesses online; it eliminates the need to travel to regional capitals or Accra and saves millions of citizens the additional time, energy and money they used to spend to acquire these important documents every day.

10. The multimillion dollar eTransform ICT project was negotiated to enhance E-Governance projects such as: E-Justice, E-Procurement, E-Health, E-Parliament, E-Education, E-Workspace, among others.

11. Some public and civil service activities were automated through the E-Workspace and Learning Management Systems platforms for the efficient management of Government resources and hundreds of Public and Civil service personnel were trained over a 2 year-period.

The question I want to ask is how did we ever let Mahama to slip away?
Anyway, fuel price is in a haste to break the 8. And the beat goes on.