ICT: GOLD MINE OF THE MIND

By Mawutodzi K. Abissath

Daily Graphic September 2, 2004

There is this interesting Ghanaian proverb, which says:  "If your friend is more handsome than you are, you must admit it and praise him."

In this article, I shall attempt to find out why Ghana is naturally rich but economically poor; and why Singapore is naturally poor but economically rich. It seems to me that there is a missing link somewhere.

Perhaps, my arguments or analyses may sound rather simplistic. The reason is that I am neither an economist nor an Information Communications Technology (ICT) expert.

But as a Ghanaian journalist who has lived all his life in Ghana with a brief stay in Singapore, it should not be out of place to put my observations on paper for the experts to pass their judgment.

In the first place, it is important to underscore the fact that both Ghana and Singapore had been colonised by Britain. Ghana obtained her independence in 1957; Singapore in 1960. Ghana has a land area of 238,540sq km;

Singapore is an Island of 697 .1sq km. Ghana has a population of 20 million; Singapore about five million.

Ghana's literacy rate is about 74.8 per cent; Singapore's is 94.2 per cent. Ghana is endowed with natural mineral resources such as gold, diamond, bauxite, timber, etc. Singapore has none of them at all. Ghana's GDP per head is about $1,400; Singapore's is $22,033 (2003).

Ghana has arable land capable of producing any food crops under the sun all year round, but most Ghanaians can hardly afford three square meals a day; Singapore has no land at all for food cultivation. As a matter of fact, they are compelled to plant tomatoes in the air. Yet Singaporeans eat eight times a day.

In Singapore, there is nothing like “breakfast”  “lunch”, “supper/dinner”.  The food is there; so anytime at all that you feel like eating, you go and eat. Period. Their equivalent of restaurants or canteens or chop bars in Ghana is known as Food Centres or Food Junctions. These Food Centres and Food Junctions abound in all shopping centres and street corners. And food is very, very cheap, too, my brother!

The question is: Why is Ghana so rich but so poor? Not only is Ghana poor, but a Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC). Why and why again? My layman’s answer to this question is that, something basic is missing in Ghana’s economic strategy. And that which is missing in my simplistic opinion is ICT, which is the gold mine of the mind.

If Ghana has the physical gold sitting in the belly of her earth but cannot develop the technology, which is sleeping in the minds of her citizens, the gold will be there and the people will starve to death.

The 21st Century economy is a knowledge-based one. It depends more on creativity and creation, acquisition, distribution and the use of knowledge.

The acquisition of what is now referred to as intangible capital such as ideas, information, skills and competencies in the field of ICT is more important than having diamond growing bigger and bigger under the ground without your knowledge.

In fact, you even need the technological knowledge to determine that you have crude oil flowing under your sea. This is where Singapore has beaten Ghana. Shifting emphasis from material capital to human capital. Develop the minds of the people and the nation shall develop.        

The type of education Singapore is giving her citizens to exploit the gold of the mind.  For instance, in Singapore, engineers, technologists, scientists, nurses, and all types of professionals who are making the economy of that country buoyant are being trained in the polytechnics. What is the situation in Ghana?

About 25 years ago, the leadership of Singapore took note of the trends of global economy and paused for self- examination. They posed the following questions to themselves: "Singapore has no natural resources what so ever; it depends entirely on other nations for its livelihood through importations. ’What will happen to us if there is a war one day and our development partners decide to block our imports?' "What must we do to become economically self-dependent?"

Apparently, it was this 'paradoxical situation that prompted Singapore to adopt ICT as the best solution to their- survival. A senior lecturer at Nanyang Polytechnic in that country, who spoke to this writer in 'an exclusive interview in July this year, stated that the Singapore  authorities after their critical self-examination, resolved .to invest in their people as the only resources available for national development and prosperity.

Thanks to Information Communications Technology, Singapore is, now ahead of most Assian Tigers in digital economy. In fact some, so called advanced industrialised nations are today consulting Singapore to help them in some ICT software security development and management.

Is there any earthly reason why Ghana cannot use lCT to achieve digital economy for the benefit of its citizens like Singapore? It is the considered view of this writer that Ghanaians are very intelligent people and if they set their priorities right they can achieve what Singaporeans are doing; even more in a shorter period. 

           

The vision of the leadership is critical in this regard. It is gratifying to note that a national ICT policy frame- work has already been put in place by the, government and Ghana's Parliament has taken a favourable view of it. Ghanaian economists and ICT Gurus must not work at cross purposes. They must think, build and operate as a team.

ICT must be introduced to schools right from the primary level. And it must begin with computer literacy, which- must be made part and parcel of the nation's educational system. This must begin from day one.

 When this is done, discipline must become a national password. Singaporeans do not wait for their Vice-President to beg them to be disciplined; their market women do not wait for the Mayor of the City to plead with them to clean the market; their commercial drivers do not wait for the Inspector, General of Police to direct traffic when there is black out; students of tertiary institutions do not wait for their Vice-Chancellors or Principals to plead with them not to brutalise their fellow students to death; and above all, second cycle students do not wait for the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports to beg them not to destroy school properties. 

Having said that lCT is the gold mine of the minds, undisciplined mind of cannot concentrate, contemplate, meditate, visualise, create and invent anything. Singapore is making a digital economic progress because the people are self-disciplined.

Therefore, if the government provides computers to schools only for undisciplined, stubborn, disobedient, wayward and recalcitrant students to vandalise and set them ablaze, how can ICT mine the gold in the minds of Ghanaians for the nation to enter the economic knowledge kingdom?

The author works with the Information Services Department (ISD) Accra  abissath@gmail.com

NB: This article was first published by the Daily Graphic on September 2, 2004.