By John Ikani
Ghana’s Deputy Leader, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced plans to establish the continent’s first blockchain-based government.
The initiative aims to tackle corruption through increased transparency.
Bawumia spoke at an anti-corruption conference in Accra, highlighting blockchain’s potential to revolutionize governance.
The technology creates a transparent and verifiable record of transactions, making alterations easily detectable.
Bawumia believes blockchain can significantly improve transparency and empower Ghana to combat corruption more effectively.
Eliminating corruption, mismanagement, and a lack of accountability could save the country and Africa billions of dollars.
This is especially crucial as Ghana grapples with a debt crisis, where financial accountability is paramount.
Ghana’s Digital Transformation Success Stories
Bawumia also showcased Ghana’s existing digitalization efforts.
The ghana.gov portal allows citizens to electronically pay for government services, generating over GH¢201 billion in revenue since 2020.
Similarly, digitizing passport applications led to a surge in applications and revenue growth.
In addition, integrating databases with the GhanaCard exposed thousands of “ghost” pensioners and National Service Scheme participants, saving the country millions of cedis.
Bawumia urged anti-corruption agencies across Africa to invest in digital forensics tools to track and disrupt corruption networks.
He believes a central bank digital currency (e-Cedi) could further enhance Ghana’s fight against corruption.
