Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has said Government’s digitalisation initiative would de-risk the agriculture sector and build systems that would enable it expand.
He said data available showed that most of the youth did not consider agriculture as a lifelong career and described it as risky and unprofitable labour and capital-intensive occupation.
To address these challenges, amongst others, the Vice President said Government has embarked on a major digitisation drive to modernise the Ghanaian economy.
Dr. Bawumia who was addressing Agricultural Students Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue Bootcamp organised by the Agrihouse Foundation said “from the farm to the factory floor to the office, government is digitising how we collect data, store data and use data to improve economic activities”.
He said government would address the challenges that militate against the sector to make it attractive so that farmers in Ghana could expand their business and compete globally.
For the agri-business to thrive, Dr Bawumia said an effective payment system needed to be available for farmers to make and receive payments, wherever they were adding that, that was why Mobile Money Interoperability was initiated to facilitate payment system in the country.
The Vice President said government was focused on building the enablers to allow Ghana compete in the fourth industrial revolution.
He said financial inclusion is a key component in every economy and that was why government has taken steps such as the issuance of the Ghana Card, digital addressing system, among others to allow every Ghanaian to participate in the economy.
Dr Bawumia encouraged the students to develop a mindset of possibilities, and resist any attempts at discouragement while trying to be innovative.”
“You must not be afraid to fail. Indeed, you will not always be successful. But even in failure you will learn something, there are lessons to learn,” he added.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
