Technology is key to transformation in the urban system of Accra, Ghana, deemed one of the world’s fastest growing economies, a recent report by IBM said.
A Vision for Smarter Growth: an IBM Smarter Cities Report on Accra, Ghana, identified city services and transportation as top priority areas for development, with tech the recommended solution.
Joe Mensah, country general manager at IBM Ghana, said: “IBM’s approach is to enter a dialogue with key stakeholders and experts on the ground to understand the challenges and explore where technology can be successfully applied to transform the systems on which our cities depend.
“The scale of Accra and its challenges creates a manageable environment for implementing smarter systems that could really improve lives and business.”
While electricity has become a nationwide problem, telecommunications operator Airtel assisted with the pilot of wind and solar power via a mobile station in Ghana, providing both an affordable and green solution for grid power backup.
Furthermore, smart metres are offered as a tool for managing electricity distribution and smart grids to identify problematic areas, affecting companies and the population in general.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian government has recently started the execution of the National Urban Policy Framework and Action Plan. The strategy is aimed at revenue increase in cities countrywide to reduce poverty and address urban growth challenges.
While fraud results in an estimated loss of 50 per cent in revenue, transacting through the cloud is hoped to enhance transparency.
Furthermore, the employment of social media and mobile services can spread and give fast access about information regarding transport services, for example.
HumanIPO reported last month on Jamless, a web-based traffic report service, also available on Twitter and mobile through USSD.
Alfred Vanderpuijie, mayor of Accra, said: “Technology is clearly one of the fundamental building blocks for creating a smarter and better functioning Accra.”
Accra is considered one of Africa’s fastest emerging cities and Ghana is rated one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the International Monetary Fund says.
Mastercard ranks Accra in the top position of African cities with economic potential for 2018, noting its demographic expansion over the past decade.
This growth however, puts pressure on the city’s infrastructure and resources, to which tech is the answer, the IBM report released yesterday suggests.
The report drew on opinions of local experts from both public and private sectors.
