Investment key to Ghana's tech boom, expert says

Ghana has the potential to become a tech-driven economy within five years, but critical investment in infrastructure is needed, according to Mr. Chris Larbi, West Africa Territory Manager for Cisco Meraki.

He said while Ghana was a few years behind more developed economies due to socio-economic factors, it showed signs of emerging as an internet technology leader in the next decade.

Mr. Larbi spoke at a seminar highlighting how technology is transforming processes. For instance, deployments have helped numerous companies achieve 500% growth within five years by enabling them to scale effectively.

"We need to be ahead of the curve," Mr. Larbi said. "Ghana is making adjustments, and Cisco Meraki is introducing new products and educational programs to empower everyone to leverage technology for growth."

The technology can benefit various sectors, including oil and gas, defence, finance, and hospitality.

Speaking on Artificial Intelligence, Mr. Larbi believes it's the future and urges businesses to embrace it for efficient operations. Meraki is already integrating AI into its platforms to streamline workflows.

Mr. Olusegun Enitan Dada, Managing Director of IT Horizons, an African IT firm, commended the Ghanaian government's innovative digital transformation initiatives. He highlighted centralizing the national database for citizen identification and the Smart City project as key growth drivers.

Mr. Dada sees immense potential in African countries like Ghana and believes IT Horizons is well-positioned to support their development. He acknowledges that COVID-19 significantly accelerated the global shift towards technology, evident in the growing adoption of digital applications.