Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is an economist and a banker. He was born on October 7, 1963 in Tamale to the late Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, former Chairman of the Council of State (1992–2000) and Hajia Mariama Bawumia.
He was born into a large family and the 12th of his father’s 18 children and the second of his mother’s five children. His father was a teacher, lawyer and politician and a Mamprugu Royal and Paramount Chief of Kperiga in the Northern Region. Dr Bawumia is married to Samira Ramadan Bawumia, the only daughter of Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, the former PNC National Chairman. The couple have three children.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has been an instrumental factor in digitizing the Ghanaian economy since his assumption into office as the Vice President of Ghana.
Dr Bawumia since 2017 has made several key decisions to ensure that the Ghanaian economy meets International standards through the use of technology especially in sectors where payments are made regularly.
In his attempts to digitize the economy, the Vice President won the Digital Leader of the Year 2018 at the 9th Ghana Information Technology and Telecom (GITTA) Awards held in June 2019.
Consequently, as Dr Bawumia celebrate his 56th birthday today, Ghanatalksbusiness present 5 major digital innovations championed by the vice president since 2017.
1. Digital Address System
The government, led by Dr Bawumia in 2017 launched the Digital Address System for easy navigation. The system is meant to create ease in locating people and properties across the country.
2. Paperless Ports System
The paperless Port system championed by Vice President is to facilitate clearing at Ghana’s entry points, and also to reduce the human interference which leads to delays i transactions at the port.
3. Medical Drone Delivery Service
Early this year, the Vice President launched Ghana’s largest medical drone delivery service to improve medical delivery service in the country. The new service is a collaboration between Ghana’s Ministry of Health and Zipline Technologies. It uses drones to make national-scale, on-demand emergency deliveries of approximately 148 different vaccines, blood products, and life-saving medications to specified communities.
4. E-procurement system
Vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in April 2019, launched a new Electronic Public Procurement portal as part of efforts to fight corruption. The project is expected to enhance transparency in the public procurement process, provide a common platform for use by public institutions in public procurement and public financial management by facilitating increased participation of service providers for government contracts.
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5. Mobile Money Interoperability System
Dr Bawumia last year launched the first mobile money payments interoperability system in Ghana.
Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), the Telcos and financial institutions to ensure that mobile money platforms were interoperable to make banking services more accessible to the large unbanked population.
