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To reach the standards of developed nations, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has encouraged Africa to abandon the mindset of impossibility and adopt a mindset of possibility.
Dr. Bawumia said that the continued reliance on inefficient systems in Africa is the bane of the continent’s economic growth and development. He added that the status quo persists because the continent has, for many years, not broken the “shackles of impossibility mindsets.” Dr. Bawumia was speaking to attendees of Harvard University’s Africa Development Conference in the United States over the weekend.
“The truth is that while African countries are politically free, we still have a mindset that is shackled by the experience of 500 years of slavery and colonialism,” Dr. Bawumia said.
“For the longest time we have not believed in ourselves. The dominant mindset is one of impossibility.”
Addressing issues stunting the economic growth of the African continent, Dr. Bawumia said the over reliance of raw materials instead of human capital development, as well as lack of effective systems such as identity system, property addressing system, huge financial exclusion and manual delivery of public services are some of the major contributory factors to Africa’s stunted progress.
To address these, Dr. Bawumia noted, Africa must embrace the 4th Industrial Revolution to address these basis system challenges, and more importantly, break the impossibility mindset, which he said is a major hindrance to Africa’s forward march.
“Our generation needs to break the shackles of the impossibility mindset and embrace the mindset of possibility! It is time for us to figure out the best ways to be masters of our destiny, to chart our own path and develop on our own terms. It is Possible!”
Dr. Bawumia has successfully led Ghana’s digitalization initiative at home in Ghana to solve some of the foundational system concerns he discussed at the Conference.
He has frequently discussed how pessimists tried to thwart and dissuade many of the successful digital innovations he led, as not possible to achieve. He has, however, had his own issues with “impossibility mindsets.”
High level participants are brought together at the Harvard Africa Development Conference to debate topics pertaining to the development of the African continent.
As the Guest of Honor, Vice President Bawumia gave the keynote speech.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
