Bright Simons urges Ghana to remove digital economy barriers

Bright Simons, Vice-President and Head of Research at the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, has advised the Ghanaian government to act as an enabler rather than an impediment to the digital economy. Speaking at the Joy News Digital Economy Forum, Simons argued that policymakers should focus on removing bottlenecks that prevent ordinary citizens from using technology for income.

He highlighted that many Ghanaians have developed essential digital skills—such as using geolocation, mapping services, and social media—through practical necessity rather than formal training. He cited ride-hailing, e-commerce, and content creation as sectors where individuals have successfully navigated platforms like Uber and Bolt without official instruction.

Simons warned against poorly considered regulations, such as proposed licensing requirements for ride-hailing services and developers, which could increase entry costs and exclude informal workers. Additionally, addressing data sovereignty concerns, he noted that if Ghana is worried about foreign government access to data, the country would need to develop its own domestic email services, as current reliance on foreign platforms already exposes information to international oversight.