The Enabling Architecture for a Digital Economy

This book lends a key voice to the conversation on digital transformation in developing and emerging economies, especially from the African perspective. It is a key reference point and inspiration source for the policymakers and economic actors with the power to affect the progressive, sustainable change we all seek. Ghana, in the past few years, has been aggressively pursuing a digital agenda: and rightly so. Traditional economies are slowly losing ground to the digital economy,...
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This book lends a key voice to the conversation on digital transformation in developing and emerging economies, especially from the African perspective. It is a key reference point and inspiration source for the policymakers and economic actors with the power to affect the progressive, sustainable change we all seek. Ghana, in the past few years, has been aggressively pursuing a digital agenda: and rightly so. Traditional economies are slowly losing ground to the digital economy, especially in the global South. In the global North, the historical impact of the digital economy on overall economic growth is ubiquitous. Technology has become a key player in business, education, commerce, and even social interactions. Currently, the digital economy commensurate with approximately 15.5% of the world's GDP (World Bank, 2022). Rapidly surpassing the total economy's growth, it is anticipated to reach 33% by 2033 (Herbert & Loudon, 2020).

On the other hand, countries like Ghana are only seeing a fraction of this growth and must make strategic investments in their digital economy to keep pace - the urgency of this is especially exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Old age African wisdom lets us know that if you pick up one end of a stick, you pick up the other. We cannot pursue a digital agenda without realizing the need for digital knowledge and skills development. Against the backdrop of this realisation, the idea for this book, "The Enabling Architecture for a Digital Economy" was birthed. In eight concise chapters, the book defines the building elements required for the digital architecture of Ghana, Africa, and emerging economies. With the book's combination of academic and practical content, it is an applicable guide for any firm or country looking to make the switch from a conventional approach to a digital one.