Bawumia urges Africa to embrace Fourth Industrial Revolution

Former Vice-President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on African countries to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution as a means of transforming their economies and ensuring prosperity for their citizens. 

Delivering a keynote lecture last Saturday at Harvard University on the theme "Africa Beyond Borders: A Myth or a Mandate for Africa’s Progress", he warned that Africa risked falling further behind if it failed to seize the opportunities presented by technological advancements.

Dr Bawumia highlighted that Africa had missed out on the first three industrial revolutions—mechanised production, mass production and the computer age—leaving the continent struggling to compete with the rest of the world.

He stressed that the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by digitalisation, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, offered a unique chance for Africa to leapfrog traditional barriers to development.

"Policymakers in Africa must act with a mindset of possibilities. We should embrace technology and not be intimidated by it. We must believe that we can leapfrog the advanced nations in many areas if we put our minds to it," he stated.

Ghana's example

Using Ghana as an example, Dr Bawumia outlined the country’s recent digital transformation, which he played a key role in shaping.

He noted that before the implementation of aggressive digitalisation policies, Ghana had a largely informal economy without many of the foundational elements of a modern system.

The introduction of the Ghana Card, digital property addressing, and mobile money interoperability, he said, had significantly boosted financial inclusion, improved government service delivery, and positioned the country as a leader in digital innovation on the continent.

"Our challenge is to use digitalisation to solve current problems while laying the foundation for the future of jobs, leapfrogging from the second to the fourth industrial revolution.

There is mounting empirical evidence that highlights the transformative potential of digital innovation to create jobs, boost productivity, increase income levels, and foster wealth creation," he said.

Beyond digitalising government services, Dr Bawumia highlighted how technology has supported business growth and job creation in Ghana.

He noted that e-commerce was booming, with many entrepreneurs using digital platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and websites to sell products, while mobile money interoperability and digital addressing systems had made online transactions and deliveries more efficient.

He urged African governments to take a bold and cooperative approach to digital transformation, drawing lessons from past industrial revolutions.

According to him, the key to Africa’s future was in recognising and acting upon the opportunities presented by new technologies.

"The digital economy holds the key to unlocking Africa’s vast potential and creating jobs for the youth.

By working together—governments, businesses, educators and innovators—we can build a future where every African has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to a brighter tomorrow," he concluded.