Vice President Dr Bawumia Meets Estonian President

The need for reforms of the UN Security Council, Russia’s war on Ukraine which is impacting global markets and driving inflation as well as calls to join Ukrainian President Zelensky’s Peace Formula were some of the issues put forward by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia with Estonia’s President Alar Karis when they met in Tallinn.

At the same table, the two leaders also had discussions on the value of digitalisation as a tool to improve everyday life and the need for Accra and Tallinn to cooperate on digitalization and education for mutual benefit.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s high-level trip to Estonia is to examine and draw lessons from Estonia’s digitisation success and implement same to support the growth of Ghana’s ongoing digitisation process. Estonia is renowned as one of the world’s most digitised countries while Ghana is regarded as Africa’s fastest digitising country.

So, the meeting of these two leaders is seen as positive and forward-looking to explore the opportunities digitisation provides. In discussion with the Estonian President Mr. Alar Karis, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and the Ministry of Economic Affairs shared how their country’s investment in digitalisation and their commitment in over two decades has resulted in massive economic transformation.

Ghana’s Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia also shared Ghana’s digitalisation story of the past seven years and how it is positively transforming the nation, especially in combating corruption, making things easier for the people and impacting on government revenue mobilisation. Estonia’s digitalisation christened e-Estonia, shares striking similarities with Digital Ghana, in the areas of national identification, property addressing system, online government services and financial inclusion.

Like the Ghanacard, e-Estonia is built on its digital national identity card system, which is mandatory for every Estonian citizen and can also be recognised as a digital signature without the person being present. Estonia’s President Mr. Alar Karis, expressed his commitment to establish a strong relationship between Tallinn and Accra in various sectors of common interests to promote development.

Dr Bawumia, pledged Ghana’s commitment to work with Estonia based on South-South Cooperation. He also met with Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas to learn from each other in the digital space.

Dr. Bawumia is scheduled to meet other players in Estonia’s economy, including Ministers and private sector players to tap into each other’s experience.