African Governments have been urged to explore ways to maximise the positive effects of the digital revolution on their citizenry to ensure the continent is not left behind.
Dr George Agyekum Donkor, the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) made the remarks in a keynote address at the 7th Rebranding Africa Forum in Brussels, Belgium.
An official statement issued and copied the GNA in Accra, said the annual forum, on the theme: “How the Digital Revolution can shape Africa’s Future” attracted high-level stakeholders, including government
Officials and corporate institutions.
Officials and corporate institutions.
It said the forum was also addressed by key dignitaries such as Mr Tony Blair, Former UK Prime Minister, Mamadou Issoufou, Ex-President of the Republic of Niger, Pierre-Yves Dermangne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economy and Labour of the Kingdom of Belgium, among others.
Dr Donkor said the digital environment had enabled the creation of a single digital market, encouraged synergies and partnerships at all levels for greater efficiency, which had offered enormous opportunities to increase trade and investments on the continent.
He was of the view that such an opportunity could be leveraged to support the effective roll-out and facilitation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) necessary for deepening regional integration for achieving economic growth and sustainable development in Africa.
“While we work to optimize the gains of the digital revolution, we also need to remember that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is beckoning. The world will not wait for Africa; Africa needs to act with dispatch in embracing technology while participating in advancing it,” he added.
The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) is a leading regional Investment and Development Bank, based in Lomé, Togo.
EBID, has over the past four decades, invested approximately 2.8 billion dollars in inter and intra-regional development programmes, covering diverse initiatives from infrastructure and basic amenities, rural development and environment, industry, social sector and services.
EBID intervenes through long, medium and short-term loans, equity participation, lines of credit, refinancing, financial engineering operations and services.
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