Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia says as a country that has missed three previous revolutions that many nations took advantage of to become developed countries, the Akufo-Addo government has given meaning to Ghana’s development through digitisation.

He noted that before 2017, the analog approach to delivering public services not only slowed economic progress, but also stifled innovation and left large segments of the population with very limited access to essential services.

He however said the situation changed through the government’s commitment to ensuring that Ghana fully embraced this transformation.

“Under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, we have made digitalization a central pillar of our economic strategy, recognizing that the fourth industrial revolution is already happening, and it is reshaping the global landscape… we must not miss this 4th revolution,” he said.

“We must seize the opportunities that this 4th industrial revolution presents. 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. Countries with robust digital economies experience faster growth, more innovative service offerings, and greater job creation,” Dr. Bawumia said when he launched the CitizenApp, a groundbreaking mobile application designed to improve public service delivery and citizen engagement in Accra.

The Vice-President noted that before 2017, several government agencies operated under traditional, manual processes across critical sectors, which often led to inefficiencies, delays and significant bottlenecks in service delivery.

He said government services, for instance, required long queues, multiple in-person visits, and frustrating paperwork. At the time, there was minimal investment in building the digital infrastructure necessary to support widespread digital transformation, and technology was viewed more as an add-on rather than a core element of national economic strategy.

He indicated that, as the world entered the fourth industrial revolution, it had become obvious that no economic strategy could succeed without a strong digital foundation.

“In key areas such as public administration, trade, education, financial inclusion and healthcare, the absence of digital systems meant that processes were slow, non-transparent, and prone to errors. For example, vehicle registration involving numerous manual steps, requiring citizens to physically visit multiple offices to complete the process,” he pointed out.

Pointing to the many positive impacts of Ghana’s digital transformation, he touched on the use of Mobile Money (MoMo), which had been a catalyst for economic growth and financial inclusion.

“Today, mobile money has become one of the most important financial tools in the country, allowing millions of Ghanaians to engage in the formal economy, send and receive payments, save money, and access credit…One of the most profound impacts of mobile money has been its role in bridging the gap between the formal and informal economies,” he said.

Touching on the newly launched platform, Dr. Bawumia highlighted the app’s potential to streamline processes, reduce bureaucracy, and foster greater transparency and accountability within government operations.

“What Ghana has done many advanced countries have not yet done it. So we are moving in a direction that has major opportunities…Once the system comes in doing business in Ghana will be very easy and smooth, paying taxes will be very easy, getting your passport, will be very easy, registering a business is very easy,” he said.

“It is going to make life easier for the citizens and this system also allows the government to communicate with the citizens. This is an exciting development in our digitalisation journey,” he stated.