Speeches

The 5th Industrial Revolution, a fusion of digital, biological, and physical innovations, is here
with us. Unlike previous industrial revolutions, which left us behind, this revolution provides
a unique opportunity for us to participate in this new age of development and prosperity. At
the heart of this transformation lies robust Digital Public Infrastructure, which is the
cornerstone of progress and prosperity for the continent in this new ear, and which we so
desperately need.
Innovation in digital infrastructure has the power to bridge vast geographical divides,
connect remote communities, and thereby unleash the untapped potential of millions.
From fibre-optic networks to mobile technologies, the digital revolution is reshaping Africa’s
landscape, yet, amidst this digital transformation, challenges persist. Poor access to reliable
telephony, internet and power hinders the full participation of the majority in the digital
economy.
In my opinion, there is no shortage of investment. There are billions of dollars out there
looking to be properly utilized, but there are a number of issues which hinder the necessary
investment into this infrastructure: 

1. Enhanced Economic Inclusion: This refers to the ability of both businesses and
   consumers to afford the necessary infrastructure. It is imperative to cultivate an
   economic landscape where all stakeholders generate sufficient economic value,
   enabling them to invest in and sustain the required infrastructure at its rightful cost.
   Simply seeking price reductions isn’t enough; rather, we must strive to bolster
   economic capacities across the board to ensure equitable access and support
   sustainable development.
2. Enhancing Customer Capabilities: This aspect pertains to our proficiency in fully
   leveraging the services offered to their utmost potential. Given the fragmented
   nature of our society concerning education and economic empowerment, there’s a
   pressing need to uplift these standards to a minimum threshold. By doing so, we
   ensure that our infrastructure is effectively utilized and benefits all segments of
   society.
3. Enhancing Value Creation: The pivotal question remains – will we merely consume
   what the global market offers, or shall we contribute to this era by creating
   innovative services that resonate and are in demand worldwide? Our diverse talent
   pool spans numerous fields, awaiting the conducive environment needed to flourish.
   It’s imperative to foster an ecosystem that nurtures creativity and entrepreneurship,
   enabling us to not only consume but also create and export value-added services
   that enrich the global landscape.
   When I look at my business, People’s Pension, which seeks to offer pensions and other
   financial services to informal workers, our success hinges upon three crucial pillars. Firstly,
   universal access to mobile phones, regardless of internet connectivity, emerges as a
   fundamental prerequisite. Secondly, fostering a populace equipped with the requisite skills
   and acumen to understand our offerings and navigate through phone menus easily is

essential. Lastly, empowering individuals economically to facilitate transactions is
paramount.
Our vision extends beyond merely servicing our clientele; we aim to mobilize a substantial
customer base not only for our own services but also for other vital offerings. By doing so,
we aspire not only to fulfil our organizational goals but also to play a pivotal role in the
nation’s development narrative leveraging pension funds for long term infrastructure
development.
We can see that there is demand for our services and for many other services and but then
how what percentage of the population can currently comply with these requirements? As
always, in the face of adversity lies opportunity. By investing in robust digital infrastructure
and fostering a culture of innovation, we can enable our talented populations create an
ecosystem of next generation value added and OTT services that will help Africa and chart a
course towards inclusive and sustainable development.
I am not going to speak about all the things we, as leaders in our various sectors, need to do
to attract the necessary investment because I think we all already know what needs to be
done. We have all the advice, all the reports, all the research, all the plans. What remains
pivotal is the execution, the leap from theory to practice and action.
And to do that, all we need to do that is a bit more honesty, integrity, and diligence in
everything we as leaders do. Let us bear in mind the weight of our responsibility not only to
the present but also to the generations yet to come, ensuring that our actions today lay the
foundation for a prosperous and sustainable future, in line with the rest of the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and valued stakeholders, welcome to MT4D-24. Mobile Technology for Development 2024 is a track under the auspices of the 3i Africa Summit 2024. This marks the fourth edition of MT4D, an initiative that stands at the forefront of leveraging mobile technology to drive development in Ghana and across Africa.

MT4D is an event that provides the platform for stakeholders within the financial, technology, and development sectors to converge at a single location to share ideas, exhibit solutions, take stock of innovations in payments, deposits, credit, remittances, and insurance, and build partnerships for an enhanced effort towards financial inclusion in Ghana.

As a platform, it unites key actors in the technology ecosystem, including policymakers, regulators, industry players, academia, and end-users, to collaborate on innovative solutions that advance our nations. Throughout the years, this platform has been instrumental in catalyzing significant progress and advancements in our sector.
Through the insights and perspectives shared, policy and regulatory ideas and innovations have been formulated to influence policies and regulations on financial inclusion.

Thanks in part to the invaluable partnership of the Bank of Ghana,
they have been a major partner in all previous editions. So, with the 3i
Africa Summit being championed by the Bank of Ghana, we, the
Ghana Chamber of Technology, the EMI Chamber of Ghana and
Financial Inclusion Africa, the organisers of MT4D, agreed to partner
the organizers 3i Africa Summit to have MT4D as one of the tracks of
the summit. Today we bring you MT4D24.

So, as we gather here today for the final day of the 3i Africa Summit,
we are proud to present MT4D24 dealing with the Digital Public
Infrastructure track—an opportunity to further harness the power of
mobile technology for sustainable development. Together, let us
explore new horizons, forge meaningful partnerships, and pave the
way for a brighter future for Ghana and the continent.

We are grateful to the Bank of Ghana who has offered us the
opportunity to host this track bear most of the cost and our other
sponsors, Huawei Technologies Ghana, Telecel Cash, People Pensions,
GhIPPS, and Zeepay. We are grateful for your continued support.

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As we welcome you to MT4D24, we are preparing for MT4D 25 next
year, that event would be championed by FIFA and EMI Chamber of
Ghana.
For today let us enjoy and contribute to developing Africa and Ghana’s
Digital Public Infrastructure to ensure that we carry all Africans on this
journey of financial inclusion and the development of our continent.
Thank you for being a part of this transformative journey. I leave you
with my colleague and brother Dr. William Derban to take you
through what is in store for you at MT4D-24, the 3i Africa Summit
version.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen,
 
It’s a privilege to be here to speak on the topic ‘Digital Infrastructure and Innovation:
Accelerating Africa’s Development.’
 
In September 2020 at the height of the pandemic, I had the opportunity of being a
panellist at the Bruegel Annual meeting and pole on the topic ‘Africa after covid – Can
the economies recover?’
 
I said that when the pandemic clears, we will realize that we have been given a
generational opportunity to rebuild a more resilient, fair and inclusive society and here
we are. It’s happening right before our eyes. Having these dialogues on our
infrastructure, innovation, discussing acceleration of Africa’s development I believe is
the right way to go. But let’s not just discuss. After the discussions let’s implement,
implement, implement. That’s how the acceleration of Africa’s development will
happen.
I’m sure you agree with me that the contribution of digital to our development has
been accelerated not just in our individual lives but in the way businesses, government
and society in general operate. This will not be reversed. It is here to stay.
There are 3 points that I will like to touch on briefly before I handover to our panellists
to explore the topic further.

1. The 1st is our infrastructure. According to the GSMA’s 2023 report on the State of
   Mobile Internet Connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa, 15% of sub-Saharan Africa have
   no network coverage, 59% have network coverage but are not connected which
   means they make no use of this network signal flying over their heads and only
   25% have signal and are also connected. Of the people who have a signal but are
   not connected, 40% of them are not connected because they do not have a device.
   Infrastructure in Africa is not just about mobile coverage – fibre both inland and
   undersea, the data centres and more importantly energy sources to power the active
   elements data are important and must be enhanced. Expanding this infrastructure,
   making it future proof is critical. I’m sure the recent undersea cuts experience is still
   fresh in our minds). We need a safe, resilient and high-quality communication
   infrastructure that can enhance lives, business and society.

As a service provider, Telecel, we believe in investing in network infrastructure and will
continue to do so. However, we also believe in participating in infrastructure sharing
and co-investment programmes to close the gap.
The UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development estimates that an
additional $109 billion in investment is required to achieve universal, affordable, and
good quality broadband internet access by 2030. Where is this funding going to come
from?
 
Under prevailing global conditions, private investments are not set to increase. African
governments’ budgets are tightening, and priority will have to be given to citizens’
most imminent needs, regrettably some donors may have to divert foreign aid
towards their own domestic reconstruction.
 
This poses a real challenge for the progress towards achieving Sustainable
Development Goal 9 to provide universal and affordable access to the internet across
Africa.
 
My 1 st call on the topic is for cooperation and partnership between governments,
industry, DDIs, FDIs, to work together on this if we are serious about it.
 

2. Now let’s move to the digital economy itself and this brings me to my second
   point. According to the IFC and Google’s e-Conomy Africa 2020 report, ‘ Africa’s
   digital economy is one of the largest overlooked investment opportunities
   available, with a potential to add US$180 billion to Africa’s GDP by 2025’.
     
   I just touched on infrastructure; however infrastructure alone is not enough. Innovation is
   the fuel that powers progress and drives change. Africa is home to some of the brightest
   minds and most innovative thinkers in the world. From mobile banking solutions to
   renewable energy technologies, African innovators are leading the way in finding creative
   solutions to the continent’s most pressing challenges.
   We must be more deliberate and invest in tapping into the innovative capacity of our talents
   and prioritise innovation in schools and industry to drive development at scale. As for tech
   start-ups, we know how to kick them off very well. I think we have mastered that. I am
   getting tired of seeing too many startups never seeing the future because there is no
   support to drive scale. It’s not enough to support them with initial funds such as those from
   family and friends. We need to follow it through till they have scale.
   Now to my third and final point – Digital literacy.
   If we have the infrastructure and sort out all the innovative solutions, will we have an
   African population ready to take advantage of it and accelerate our development?
   From the statistics I shared earlier on, if 59% of the population of Africa do not use mobile
   internet despite living in an area with coverage how do we drive adoption?
   Africa’s working-age population is projected to surge by approximately 450 million
   individuals from 2015 to 2035. Sustaining current trajectories would see less than a quarter
   gain access to stable employment – according to the World Bank.

Expanding internet accessibility holds the potential to generate millions of job opportunities
and upskill young people for tech opportunities. We need to ensure a wider ripple effect of
digital technology and innovation uptake and adoption.

Governments and businesses must invest in digital literacy programmes to equip
African youth with the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy, from coding to
digital marketing to cybersecurity and data analytics. Instil digital technology
knowledge in our young people right from primary school and build their exposure.
I am looking forward to the sessions today as our panellists explore our potential and
share their thoughts on how we do this and do it with speed.
Together, we must crack the code to realise the full potential of Africa’s digital
revolution and development. Thank you and enjoy the sessions.