Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has expressed surprise at those who believe digitalisation has no connection to the economy.

On Wednesday, in Accra, at the launch of GoRide, a new digital platform for Ghanaian drivers nationwide, Dr. Bawumia questioned how anyone with an understanding of global trends could overlook the role of digitalisation in a modern economy.

In a statement that many believe was directed at former president Mahama—who has criticised Bawumia’s focus on digitalisation over economic issues—Bawumia outlined how digital tools are reshaping modern economies and warned that nations failing to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution risk falling behind.

"Sometimes people don’t quite understand what we’re doing. They say, ‘Oh, the Vice President is launching an app… what does that have to do with the economy?’" Dr. Bawumia remarked.

"Consider a company like Uber, which is just an app for ride-hailing. What is Uber’s value? As of yesterday, its value was $163 billion," he noted. "What is Ghana’s total GDP—the value of our entire economy? It’s $75 billion. Uber alone is worth $163 billion, more than twice the value of Ghana’s economy. In this Fourth Industrial Revolution, understanding the link between digitalisation and the economy is essential," Dr. Bawumia emphasised.

"Take Microsoft, which builds software. As of yesterday, its value was $3 trillion—40 times the size of Ghana’s economy. If we don’t join the digital revolution, we’ll be left behind. This is the direction the world is moving in."

"Apple is valued at $3.5 trillion—46 times Ghana’s total economy. Even Airbnb, an app, is worth $85 billion, which exceeds Ghana’s economy," he added.

Dr. Bawumia emphasised that implementing digital infrastructures—such as the digital national identity system, national addressing system, and interoperable payment systems—are crucial steps to prepare Ghana for the global digital revolution, which has also spurred the creation of local applications.

"As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we must choose: Will we be developers of these apps, or merely their users?" he asked.

"If we want to empower our local economy and fully participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we must create more of these apps. I’m very proud to have contributed to getting us to this point."

"This is the thinking behind initiatives like the Ghanacard, mobile money interoperability, the digital address system, Ghana.gov, and e-health. We must ensure Ghana is not left behind in the digital revolution and work toward greater local empowerment in this space," he concluded.