News
Digital identity and address systems made it possible for Ghana’s digitalisation to take off – Bawumia
Vice President and flagbearer of the NPP. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has underscored the significance of the digital identity and address systems to modern economies and nations.
Speaking during his campaign tour of Dome Kwabenya Constituency in Accra on Thursday, Dr. Bawumia said developed economies have gone ahead leaving African countries behind, because their economies went digital, adding that, for African countries to catch up, there is the need for African economies to also go digital.
Dr. Bawumia, who has passionately spearheaded Ghana’s remarkable digitalisation drive, said he proposed that African economies should go digital in order to achieve economic transformation, in a book he wrote 14 years ago.
“I wrote a book in 2010 – ‘Monetary Policy and Financial Sector Reforms in Africa” and I made the point that Africa needs to go digital. That if we don’t go digital, we are going to be left behind because the digital revolution is the key for African economic development,” Dr. Bawumia told a diverse audience.
Having written the book six years before he became Vice President, Dr. Bawumia said once he got the opportunity to serve as Vice President, he knew exactly where his focus should be, with the blessings of President Akufo-Addo.
“When I came into office, I focused on one area which is digitalisation of the economy,” he said.
According to him, “I focused on it for a good reason because in the modern economy digitalisation is key to solving a lot of problems not only in Ghana but across Africa.”
Dr. Bawumia, however, added that for Ghana’s digitalisation to successfully take off, a solid foundation needed to be built, because without those foundations, digitalising the economy could not have been achieved, hence his focus on that.
“There are things you have to do first if you want to enter the digital world. First, your citizens must be digitally identified. That’s why we said let us issue the Ghana card and the Ghana Card has been issued,” he said.
According to him, “85% of adults in Ghana now have the Ghana card. We have issued 18 million Ghana cards and that makes Ghana the leading country in sub- Saharan African for digital identity. Today, even children who are born in Ghana, we are giving them digital identities just as it happens abroad.”
The Vice President added that “We give them an identity number at birth. We have linked that Ghana card with the birth and death registry so that integration of those systems is allowing Ghana to do something that no other country in the world has been able to do.”
Another digital foundation Dr. Bawumia said he focused on, which he noted is essential to creating a digital economy, is digital address system.
“When we came into office, Ghana was not having an address system that was working throughout the country… But an address system is TV one of the most important elements for any modern economy,” Dr. Bawumia said.
“An address system is so important that today, if you go to the United States and you collapse their address system; just erase it, if you could, that economy will collapse because you can’t function. The businesses cannot function without an address system,” he stressed.
Dr. Bawumia stated that when he remained committed to building these structures for a strong and efficient digital economy for Ghana, many, who did not understand the linkage between digitalisation and economy, questioned what he was doing and also sought to mock him.
“When I started, many people could not understand how digitalisation related to the economy and so increasingly, they are now beginning to understand,” he concluded.
News
CSA urges Universities to strengthen cybersecurity following university of Nottingham cyber-attack
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has cautioned universities and other operators of Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) in Ghana to comply with cybersecurity regulations following a recent cyber-attack on the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
In a press release issued on June 16, 2026, the Authority said the incident should serve as a warning to educational institutions that no organisation is immune to cyber threats, regardless of its size, reputation or technological capacity.
According to the CSA, the attack on the University of Nottingham is believed to have affected about 450,000 students and alumni, exposing sensitive information such as personal records, contact details, student identification information and financial data.
The Authority noted that although the breach occurred outside Ghana, it has important lessons for the country’s education sector as well as other critical sectors including health, telecommunications and transportation.
The CSA explained that Ghanaian universities are increasingly relying on digital technologies such as student information systems, online learning platforms, cloud services, digital payment systems and research collaborations.
While these technologies improve efficiency and access to services, they also create opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities.
“The question is therefore not whether Ghanaian universities or other critical sectors will be attacked, but whether they are sufficiently prepared when an attack occurs,” the statement said.
The Authority reminded institutions to adhere to the Directive for the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, which was launched in October 2021 to strengthen cybersecurity across critical sectors.
According to the CSA, the directive requires organisations to establish cybersecurity governance structures, conduct risk assessments, implement security controls, report incidents, carry out regular audits and develop effective incident response plans.
The Authority said these measures are intended to reduce the likelihood and impact of cyber-attacks and help protect essential services and national interests.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Former NPP flagbearer aspirant, Kennedy Agyapong, has criticised both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the delayed completion of the Afari Military Hospital and other stalled health infrastructure projects.
Mr. Agyapong made the remarks on Tuesday after donating a pickup truck, an incubator and personal protective equipment (PPEs) to the 37 Military Hospital as part of activities marking his 66th birthday.
Speaking at the event, he said successive governments had failed to complete the Afari Military Hospital despite having years in office to do so.
According to him, the project was initiated during the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor and construction later commenced under the NDC.
Mr. Agyapong, who previously chaired Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, said he was aware of the project’s challenges and insisted that both the NPP and NDC should be held accountable for the delays.
“We will criticise the NDC and we will criticise the NPP. That’s the only way to go,” he said.
He noted that the previous NPP administration spent eight years in office without completing the facility and questioned attempts to place the blame solely on the current government.
The former Assin Central MP called on Ghanaians to put national development ahead of partisan politics and demand accountability from all political parties.
He said the country would make greater progress if leaders focused on completing critical projects and delivering results rather than engaging in political point-scoring.
By: Jacob Aggrey
