Vice President and NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has stated the critical role of digitalisation in the success of a modern economy during the launch of the CitizenApp.

The platform is designed to centralise and enhance interactions between the government and citizens.

Dr Bawumia underscored that for a developing country like Ghana, building a robust digital foundation, as the government has done over the past seven and a half years, is essential to transforming the economy and remaining competitive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which Ghana cannot afford to miss.

“Under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, we have made digitalization a central pillar of our economic strategy, recognising that the fourth industrial revolution is already happening, and it is reshaping the global landscape.

"As a country that has missed the previous three revolutions that many nations took advantage of to become developed countries, we must not miss this fourth revolution,” Dr. Bawumia said.

Highlighting Ghana’s digitalisation success in areas such as the biometric national identity card system, digital address system, mobile money interoperability, and the digitisation of public services, Dr Bawumia reflected on the state of digitalisation in Ghana before these developments.

“Before the start of this journey, digitalisation was not part of our development equation,” he said.

“Before we began this journey in 2017, digitalisation in Ghana was largely seen as a peripheral concern, not central to the country’s national development agenda.”

Dr Bawumia recalled how several government agencies operated under manual processes across critical sectors, leading to inefficiencies and delays in service delivery.

“Government services, for instance, required long queues, multiple in-person visits, and frustrating paperwork,” he said.

“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 involved numerous manual steps, requiring citizens to physically visit multiple offices to complete the process.”

He explained how this analogue approach affected economic progress and stifled innovation, especially for rural areas and underserved communities.

“Businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), faced similar hurdles in registering their operations, obtaining licenses, or accessing financial services.

"These delays in service delivery not only hurt economic productivity but also created space for inefficiencies and, in some cases, widespread petty corruption.”

Dr Bawumia acknowledged the criticisms he faced while leading the government’s digitalisation drive, with many questioning the relevance of his focus on digital efforts to the economy.

However, he expressed that the success of these initiatives has vindicated his efforts.

“Indeed, many people have even questioned why an Economist Vice President would often become the forbearer of the various digitalisation efforts of the government.”

“I am grateful that I don’t have to answer the cynics anymore because the answer is becoming more and more obvious every day.

As the world enters the fourth industrial revolution, it has become obvious that no economic strategy can succeed without a strong digital foundation.”

The CitizenApp

The CitizenApp, which Dr. Bawumia launched, is a comprehensive digital platform aimed at centralizing public services for easier access and greater efficiency.

Launching the app, Dr. Bawumia said, “With this single, unified, user-friendly platform, we are consolidating public services to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and convenience for all citizens and residents of Ghana.”

He added, “So, if you want to pay your utility bills, make payments for local assembly tolls and charges, including market and parking fees, get digital addresses for locations across Ghana, track, book, and pay for intercity transport, or change your name after marriage, you can do all of that in one place on your mobile phone.”