Internet penetration in Ghana has increased due to the ubiquity of mobile devices and the expansion of 4G coverage. The Western Corridor Fibre-optic Backbone project and other government initiatives have been instrumental in bridging the digital gap and enhancing connectivity. These efforts resulted in the digital transformation of numerous industries, including government, finance and agriculture, as well as Google opening its first artificial intelligence (AI) research centre in Africa in Accra in 2019. The Google AI research centre helps in mapping buildings, forecasting floods, predicting locusts, utilising ultrasound technology and teaching children to read.
Policy Agenda
The government initiated the Digital Financial Services Policy in 2019 in order to foster the adoption of digital payments and e-commerce. The policy has resulted in the rise of numerous AI-powered payment systems, including mobile money, which has transformed Ghana’s payment landscape.
Mobile money services such as MTN Mobile Money, Vodafone Cash and ATM oney have seen widespread adoption, enabling underserved and unbanked communities to access financial services. MTN was the first to use mobile money chatbots with AI capabilities to address complaints, customer inquiries and payments through various social media platforms, including Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, and via SMS. Ghana Commercial Bank, meanwhile, introduced an AI-driven chatbot that provides customers with a conversational interface to perform transactions, including balance inquiries, transfers and bill payments.
Local and international tech companies have assisted the government in developing AI-based solutions for various sectors. The Ministry of Health launched a drone-based medical supply delivery service in 2020 in collaboration with Zipline, a US-based drone delivery firm. The technology predicts demand and optimises delivery routes using AI-powered algorithms, allowing delivery of medical supplies to rural areas of Ghana in under 30 minutes. mPharma, a Ghanaian start-up, has created an AI-powered inventory management solution for pharmacies that employ predictive analytics to forecast drug demand and optimise inventory levels. It has allowed pharmacists to reduce waste, boost income and improve access to vital medications (see Health & Education chapter).
Elsewhere, the agriculture sector – a vital part of the economy – is also benefitting from digital transformation. Farmers can access meteorological data, market prices and best agricultural practices through platforms and mobile applications like Farmerline, AgroCenta, Smart and Sustainable Agri-Business, among others. These technologies allow farmers to make more informed decisions, increase yields and maximise production (see Agriculture chapter).
Big Data
The government announced in June 2022 that it was planning to implement a big data initiative to streamline data collection, processing, storing and sharing across government agencies. The initiative will assist the government in tracking trends and developing projections based on modelling, which is critical for decision-making across the spectrum.
The government has identified various sector-specific models for the initiative, including big data for agriculture, health care, governance, trade, security, education, finance, disaster management and recreation. The big data projects will each have a data governance framework that will define data value, data exchange protocols, security channels and protocols, data governance hierarchy and data-exchange dispute resolution protocols.
The Ghana Statistical Service, Vodafone Ghana and the Flowminder Foundation, a Swedish non-profit foundation, collaborated to generate official statistics using de-identified telecommunications data. This partnership aims to enhance decision-making within humanitarian and development efforts in Ghana by utilising technology to produce official statistics.
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