Telecom operators and research institutions must establish continuous exchange partnerships to develop solutions closing Africa’s digital inclusion gap, a Telecel Ghana executive told delegates at the Future of Digital Countries Africa Regional Summit in Accra.
Tawa Bolarin, Director of Enterprise and Wholesale at Telecel Ghana, argued during a panel discussion that evidence led innovation remains difficult to achieve without stronger collaboration between industry and academia. She addressed the session titled Bridging Research and Practice, Women Leading Africa’s Digital Transformation, held at Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel. Bolarin explained that most research findings and reports remain unused in school libraries, while telecom companies possess substantial anonymized data that could shape research insights when shared with academic institutions.
Bolarin pointed to Telecel Foundation’s Data for Good partnership as a practical model, noting the initiative provided anonymized mobility insights during national emergencies including the COVID 19 pandemic and Akosombo dam spillage to inform public health guidelines. The program demonstrates how industry data can serve broader societal needs when properly structured for research and policy applications.
Ghana’s digital agenda must be designed with deliberate gender representation at the policy making level, according to Bolarin. She emphasized that first time appointments of women to positions should serve as calls to action rather than celebrations, arguing that until more women sit on policy boards, research councils and strategy teams, their insights will not shape national outcomes. The Telecel executive stressed that structural changes remain necessary for women’s perspectives to influence national digital transformation effectively.
Telecel Ghana has implemented policies and programs spanning from basic education through the workplace to build a gender inclusive digital workforce. Women comprise 50 percent of the senior leadership team at Telecel Ghana. The company addresses structural and cultural imbalances both internally and externally through supportive policies including the Reconnect initiative, which assists women who have been out of work for childbirth or personal reasons to reintegrate into the workplace.
Telecel Foundation operates the GrowGirlsinSTEM and DigiTech Academy initiatives in upper primary and junior high schools, ensuring 70 percent female participation in robotics and coding programs. At the tertiary level, the Female Engineering Students Scholarship Programme has supported more than 100 female engineering students with financial aid, mentorship and access to tech tools since its establishment.
For entrepreneurs, Telecel introduced a Women in Business package last year offering funding, insurance, training, networking and market access to support female led small and medium enterprises. The comprehensive package includes free website development, grants and loans, health and life insurance products, and e commerce support designed to address unique challenges facing women owned businesses.
Bolarin emphasized that Ghana’s digital gender gap cannot be solved by the private sector alone, stating that Telecel stands ready to collaborate with key stakeholders to build digital systems that are more inclusive and more relevant to Ghana’s digital future. The approach reflects recognition that closing the digital divide requires coordinated efforts across government, academia, industry and civil society.
The panel at the FDC Africa Regional Summit included Dr Azeb Tadesse, Deputy Director of Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California Los Angeles, Dr Olubunmi Ajayi, Chief Executive Officer of Maddison Pine, and Dr Maud Ashong Elliot, Lecturer at UPSA and President of Internet Society Ghana Chapter. The gathering convened a broad spectrum of digital ecosystem stakeholders including policymakers, telecom and tech executives, academic researchers, innovators and civil society actors.
The Future of Digital Countries Africa Regional Summit in Accra brought together participants to discuss a shared vision for the continent’s digital future. Other panel discussions centered on strengthening digital governance and cybersecurity, building robust and interoperable digital infrastructure, and ensuring inclusive digital systems for socioeconomic growth. The summit operated under the theme Strengthening Africa’s Digital Future Through Innovation and Collaboration.
