Ghana will become the first African country to embrace blockchain-powered government in Africa - Bawumia

Bawumia

Ghana is swiftly advancing towards becoming Africa's leading blockchain-powered government, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has said.

He announced the nation's commitment to adopting blockchain technology to ensure transparent and tamper-proof data and transactions within the government space.

Speaking in Accra on May 9, 2024, Dr. Bawumia highlighted Ghana's digital future during the 14th Commonwealth Regional Conference and Annual General Meeting of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa. The conference, attended by representatives from 20 African countries and global anti-corruption bodies, showcased Ghana's dedication to combating corruption through digital means.

"We are going to adopt blockchain technology for government to ensure that all data and transactions in the Government space are transparent and tamper-proof, no one can change them, and so ours could well become the first blockchain-powered government in Africa," Dr. Bawumia stated.

Dr. Bawumia outlined Ghana's digitalization progress, with almost all government agencies (1507 out of 1517) integrated into the Ghana.gov digital platform, facilitating electronic access to government services and electronic payments. "Ghana.gov has already collected GHC 201 billion, significantly reducing revenue leakages caused by corruption. Looking ahead, Ghana plans to integrate databases through the X-Road Integration infrastructure, akin to Estonia, and implement blockchain technology across all government sectors to swiftly identify data modifications and prevent corruption," he stated.

Highlighting the detrimental impact of corruption on Africa, Dr. Bawumia urged African governments to invest in digital tools, including digital forensics, to disrupt corruption networks. "In Ghana, digitalization has reduced opportunities for bribery and revenue leakages. By further deploying digital platforms and systems, Ghana aims to disrupt corruption networks, ultimately combating poverty and underdevelopment in Africa."

Dr. Bawumia concluded by advocating collective action to leverage digital tools to track, trace, and disrupt the entire corruption value chain, offering the continent a fighting chance against corruption in all its manifestations.