IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Professor Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) says it is imperative that Africa takes the investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and its responsible use seriously.

“AI holds much promise and is seen as a game changer in transforming the digital economy.

In recent years, formation of E-government is considered one of the factors contributing to further development of democracy in developed countries.

It became necessary to apply a unified approach and standards in the formation of state information resources and systems, their management and ensuring their mutual integration, as well as accelerating the transition to the digital government.

Congo can now boost its growth with the IT and communications sector. Indeed, on May 2, 2019, the national strategy for the development of a digital economy was approved during a ministerial council. Soon, the related decree will be promulgated.

According to Léon Juste Ibombo, the minister of posts, telecommunications and digital economy, the strategy defines Congo’s digital vision till 2025. It focuses on three sections namely E-citizenship, E-government and E-business.

Bangladesh is a developing country and the concept of digital Bangladesh is a dream for us. Digital Bangladesh Day will be celebrated on 12th December and extensive preparations are being made for this.

In order to survive in this age of globalization, we must focus on information technology. It is almost impossible to keep pace with the current world without the development of information technology. Bangladesh is a developing country and the concept of digital Bangladesh is a dream for us.

Vietnam’s digital economy saw the gross merchandise value (GMV) reaching US$23 billion last year, with e-commerce making up over 60%.

The 2023 report “Sustainable development of e-commerce – the driving force for the digital economy” said that 2022’s GMV increased 28% over the previous year and is expected to grow 31% at US$49 billion by 2025.

Vietnam’s digital economy will continue to maintain a growth rate of 19% in GMV during the 2025-2030 period.

The Economy 4.0 has emerged and is here to stay. It captures the imagination of many, and is a key theme of several conferences such as the World Economic Forum, the Islamic Development Bank’s Private Sector Forum, and the Dubai-based Annual Investment Meeting.

Big data, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and blockchain have arrived and are here to stay. There is a race between countries and companies to provide platforms and create ecosystems to benefit from this innovation. These new technologies are disruptive and will change every aspect of our lives.

Ghana must position itself to take advantage of the emerging digital economy to provide unique opportunities for an accelerated economic growth, Minister of Communication and Digitalisation (MoCD), Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has said.

Delivering the keynote address at the 14th International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Kaleidoscope Conference in Accra on Wednesday, the minister said efforts must be made by stakeholders in the private sector to compliment the government’s efforts of utilising technology and digitisation to transform the economy.

Nigeria’s Minister of Commu­nication and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Pantami, has com­mended the contributions of the country’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector towards boosting the digital economy and GDP.

The Minister stated this at the weekend during the in­auguration of the North-East Regional Office of Galaxy Backbone in Gombe, stress­ing that the project would benefit the entire six states in the region by improving the digital economy, providing job topportunities and enhancing cybersecurity.

Beyond the rage of electioneering politics, one of the most strategic facilities that hold the key to Nigeria’s escape from the doldrums of economic stagnation was recently launched in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

On 20th December, 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the National Shared Services Centre (NSSC), which is to serve as a strategic resource to stakeholder organizations in both public and private sectors.

I laughed.

On March 9, Romania’s tax authority ANAF announced that in order to help combat the spread of the coronavirus Covid-19, it was recommending taxpayers avoid its offices and that they should file any returns or correspondence online.

Good luck with that.

Ericsson and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd (MDEC) have renewed their collaboration to prepare Malaysian students and the workforce for a digital economy.

Ericsson will provide access to its global Ericsson Educate 21st Century Technologies course – a free, self-paced online learning programme – that is designed to enhance the skills of the Malaysian workforce as well as interested tertiary-level students across all disciplines in information and communication technology.

Saudi Cabinet approval on Tuesday for the establishment of Digital Government Authority (DGA) proves the Kingdom’s commitment to becoming a leading digital economy, experts said.

This will be achieved by adopting digital transformation in government services on a par with international standards, according to Mohammed Khurram Khan, a professor of cybersecurity at King Saud University, Riyadh.

The World Bank identifies why government policy is important to ensure the benefits brought by technology are broadly shared

Last month the World Bank released its flagship World Development Report entitled “Digital Dividends”.

The report is appealing because it does more than simply celebrate all the ways that digital technology has made the world a better place. It also laments and warns against outcomes where the digital economy becomes divisive and exclusionary.

Ukraine is reportedly laying out plans to establish itself as the world's "most digital country". The country's leaders plan on utilising tech to make every service digital, which would allow the government to properly function even during dire circumstances.

The plans emerged after the Russian invasion was first publicised by President Volodymyr Zelensky last month and fleshed out by Deputy PM Mykhailo Fedorov at a conference in Switzerland on Monday.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung said Vietnam has vowed to develop a digital economy and digital society.

Q: The Prime Minister has issued a strategy on developing a digital economy and digital society by 2025, with the vision towards 2030. Where is Vietnam in the world’s digital map when releasing the strategy?

I can say for sure that Vietnam is among the countries issuing the strategy on developing digital economy and digital society early.

She talks about the opportunities and challenges the technology offers

American Digital Communications giant Cisco offers many solutions driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning. Cisco India chief Daisy Chittilapilly talks about the opportunities and the challenges the technology offers. Excerpts from an interview.

In a bid to increase the country's competitiveness and be prepared for the Asean Economic Community in 2015, the Information and Communications Technology Ministry has rolled out the 'Smart Thailand' strategy.

Smart Thailand is part of the national ICT framework called 'ICT2020', a development blueprint for the country that will lead and guide all parts of the economy, especially the government sector, to move forward with ICT development.

Speaking about the role of ICT in the Gauteng Provincial Government's (GPG's) growth path, at the Gauteng ICT summit yesterday, Gauteng CIO Lemmy Chappie said the country must ensure the set-top boxes required for digital TV are manufactured locally.

“It's about time we became the China of Africa. Also, as a country we need to be able to build our own Microsoft-type of applications and this is possible through open source.”

This new umbrella program maximizes the effect of Information Communications Technology (ICT) to improve the Filipinos’ quality of life and spur economic growth, declared Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario G. Montejo.

The Samena region, comprising South Asia, Middle East and North Africa, was the focus of the study by the Samena Council in collaboration with Booz & Company, which concluded that the benefits of this investment would be shared by players within the information and communication technology (ICT) sectors, as well as by governments.