Cybersecurity protects against unauthorized exploitation of systems
An official from the Ministry of Communications and Digitization, Stallone Nyarko, said the Ghanaian government is investing more in cybersecurity to ensure the safety of all citizens, especially those running businesses online.
Speaking on this week’s edition of #PatrioticSpaces on Twitter on Wednesday August 24, Nyarko said: “Cybersecurity is critical as people’s livelihoods now lie in the digital space. We have invested heavily in this space.
Addressing the topic: “Opportunities for Ghanaians in the digital economy”, he said the Akufo-Addo government was working to ensure that “everyone on the internet is safe because there are a lot of interests there- low now.That’s why SIM card registration is a very important part of security device.
According to him, inclusion is essential for the government, so a large part of the investment is devoted to guaranteeing access “to everyone, no matter where you are or who you are”.
“We want no one to be excluded from the global digital agenda. The digital economy will help develop Africa and this cannot be overstated. The plan is to establish approximately 2016 rural telephone sites for everyone to have access to. No one will be left behind,” he added.
For his part, Prince Ofosu Sefah, the trustee of the Ghana Electronic Communications Investment Fund (GIFEC), said expanding coverage in the digital space is key for the government to achieve the ‘inclusion.
“If you’re going to an area where there’s no coverage, what kind of scanning can you do? When people have access to it, we have to think about growing. We want more of our employees to have access to digitization and leapfrog as they build and grow their businesses,” Sefah said.
Also speaking on the same topic, Fatimatu Abubakar, Deputy Minister of Information, advised young Ghanaians to take advantage of the government-led digital economy to start or grow their businesses.
She said there are so many opportunities in the digital space that could help solve the unemployment situation in Africa if young people make good use of the digital tools at their disposal.
“It’s a conversation that’s very important, especially for young people,” Abubakar said during this week’s edition of #PatrioticSpaces on Twitter. “The digital economy has come to stay in Ghana, so young people must take advantage of it.”
She called on the youths to study the AfCFTA National Policy Framework and Action Plan, which was recently launched by the government to grow their start-ups beyond the shores of Ghana.
The Government, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the AfCFTA National Coordinating Office (NCO), has unveiled the AfCFTA National Policy Framework and Action Plan to boost prospects Ghana’s trade with the 43 member countries of the bloc.
The framework, which focuses on harmonizing relevant policies, programs, laws and regulations to enhance the productive capacities of the private sector in Ghana, especially MSMEs, aims to fully harness the benefits of the Continental Trade Area Agreement.
Addressing the more than 2,000 attendees, Abubakar said Ghana’s African Continental Free Trade Area National Coordinating Office has developed an electronic trade information repository interfaced with the African Trade Observatory (ATO) to increase the business prospects of Ghanaian companies in the AfCFTA market.
“Enjoy it,” she said. “It makes your business credible and opens you up to the African market. You will be able to reach markets that you cannot reach.
“With the AfCFTA, more access is created for people to trust your business. This will also create value for your small businesses. The government’s digitization drive is creating opportunities in e-commerce and services digital banking that saves us more time and money,” she said.
Kow Essuman, the president’s lead attorney, who hosted the spaces, said, “Not everyone will have their social media credentials verified, so you should take advantage of the online platform provided by the AfCFTA. It’s a very powerful tool that anyone can use and it’s another way to make yourself credible online.
