THE RELEVANCE OF DATA LITERACY TO THE ECONOMY OF GHANA PREAMBLE This article is aimed at encouraging the Government of Ghana to promote and strengthen Data Literacy in Ghana. The article is one of the assignments which are to be submitted by participants of the Course “Data for better lives - A new social contract.” The Course is based on the World Bank’s World Development Report 2021. The “Report calls for new social contract to transform how data can be used to improve people's lives.” The Report points out a “contract that will enhance our ability to use and the re-use data to create more economic and social value.” The social contract is expected to “foster people's trust in data by guarding against misuse.” INTRODUCTION Data and Information are terms that fall within the purview of Information & Communication Technology (ICT). Data are simply facts and/or figures. Thus when data are processed, interpreted, organized, structured or presented so as to make them meaningful or useful, they are called information. In effect, data is raw, unorganized facts that need to be processed. On the other hand, when data is processed, organized, structured or presented in a given context so as to make it useful, it is called information. Sometimes, people use the two terms data and information interchangeably. This is because information from a data source can be used as input data to be processed into information. The creation of data content has been with mankind since historic times. The use of letters, essays, newspapers, content on modern social media are cases in point. The use of data to make the lives of people better in a new social contract is quite interesting. IMPORTANCE OF DATA Data has become so powerful that in modern media, it is often compared to oil. Data powers the new economy in the same way that the oil powers the traditional economy. Unlike oil which is an exhaustive resource, data is an inexhaustible resource. This means that data “can be used and reused again and again without diminishing the amount available for others to use.” When data is created, it can be processed then stored and then it may be shared, analyzed and preserved. Secondary users of data may generate even more economic value than the original primary use of it. ROLE OF DATA IN DEVELOPMENT Today, we are in a digital revolution. Without data literacy, one can hardly be fit for the work of the future. Research findings have revealed that the use of data as a resource has many benefits & opportunities for economies and individuals. Some of these benefits include: 1. Businesses are increasingly reaping tremendous value from data. 2. Data is used as an input in data driven decision-making. 3. It can spur innovation and reduce transaction costs, ultimately boosting productivity and growth. 4. The use of data in the production process of firms may help to actually tilt the level playing field towards underserved populations by reducing fragmentation in markets. 5. Repurposing and combining different data sources are opening doors to development impacts on economies. 6. The use of data is resulting in economic development, increasing productivity & employment for some countries. THE SCENARIO IN GHANA Ghana is a country which is situated along the coast of Wet Africa. The country is blessed with many precious minerals like gold, diamond, manganese and bauxite, just to mention a few. The country is predominantly agriculture. However, the output from agriculture not much. The main cash crops are cocoa and coffee which are largely exported in their raw form. The farmers are mainly the old people as the farming is not attractive to the youth. A major problem in the country is unemployment especially among the youth. Many University graduates stay in their parents for 3 to 4 years without jobs. A structured training in Data Literacy can provide a panacea to this problem of unemployment. For example, some of the reserved army of unemployed active population can look for jobs in other countries. BARRIERS OR LIMITATIONS OR CHALLENGES The following possible limitations have been identified and may pose as barriers to the use of data. 1. Lack of training personnel for data collection & analysis. 2. Lack of funding of data collection & analysis. 3. Inequitable data sharing. 4. Lack of integration of private intent data and public intent data. 5. Limitations connected to a) data coverage and representativeness b) potential data profiling and discrimination c) data transparency and potential for manipulation. SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS TO THE BARRIERS OR LIMITATIONS OR CHALLENGES 1. Personnel with requisite abilities should be trained in skills in ICT & Geographic information systems. 2. The Government should partner with the private sector for funding data production. 3. There should be equitable & non-discrimination in sharing data. 4. There should be proper integration of private intent data and public intent data. 5. Policymakers should minimize the risks for the concentration of economic power, inequality and protection of rights of individuals. 6. The Government should have a policy to select a sizeable number of youth from each region, train them in a Trainer of Trainers ITC Course to start training other people in all the Regions. 7. Ghana can overcome data governance challenges, by entering international cooperation such as bilateral cooperation, regional collaboration or global or multilateral initiatives. CONCLUSION The Government should generate the interest in Data Literacy in Senior Leadership in the political, civil, public as well as the private sector. These leaders would then be the drivers & provide the direction to make sure the Data Literacy programme succeeds. The Government should provide the enabling environment for entrepreneurship. The Government should encourage the export of data literates.

Vodafone on the march to success through effective Content Marketing - a Customer’s viewpoint

PREAMBLE: This write-up is an assignment on “A Content Marketing & Social Media Plan” submitted as part of a Course: “The advanced content and social tactics to optimize SEO course.” This is an on-line Course being run by the University of California, Davis through Coursera. TOPIC: Vodafone on the march to success through effective Content Marketing - a Customer’s viewpoint Introduction Marketing has been practiced by businesses since time immemorial. But the ideas of marketing understood in modern times, began during the Industrial Revolution which spanned the late 18th century and lasted into the 19th century. Marketing may be defined as the process of getting potential buyers interested in a firm’s product or service. The importance of marketing cannot be over-emphasized. Marketing informs, engages, establishes credibility, and expands business. In the distant past, marketing took the form of face-to-face or in-person. Then print and audio-visual forms such as newspaper, radio & television advertisements were added. Today, the advent of the computer, ICT, Internet & Social Media Technologies are contributing immensely to improve marketing. Marketing can take various forms. Some of these are Digital Marketing, SEO Marketing, Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing and Event Marketing. The emphasis of this article is on Content Marketing (CM). Content Marketing In the past, content writing has played a major role in marketing & advertising. However, today’s marketing requires writing high quality content and reaching a great number of customers or clients with speed. “Content Marketing is the technique of producing and distributing informative and consistent content tailored to an audience.” Content marketing may be described as the key to building the reputation and visibility for a business, and in the process helps it get the high-quality links that drive higher SEO rankings and increased organic search traffic. The focus of this write-up is on how Vodafone Ghana, a telecom company can utilize CM to achieve maximum success. History Vodafone Ghana was originally the Post and Telecommunications Department of the Civil Service in Ghana. Then it went through several transformations before being renamed Ghana Telecom in 1996. It was divested. 70 per cent shareholding in the Company was acquired by Vodafone Plc in August 2008, partnering with the Government of Ghana. Products & Services Currently, Vodafone Ghana is a telecommunications company that operates as a subsidiary company of Vodafone Group Plc in the U.K. with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States. Vodafone Ghana is a communications solutions provider for mobile, fixed lines, internet, voice and data. In terms of market share in the telecommunications sector, the company is the second-ranked operator. As a corporate body, the company builds key relationships with the private sector and government. With its Vodafone Business Solutions (VBS), the company serves large, medium and small businesses as well as government agencies. Through the Vodafone Ghana Foundation (as Corporate Social Responsibility), the company delivers relevant social and economic programmes for the Ghanaian community. Initiatives such as Instant Schools, Healthfest, Healthline TV and Healthline are significant and highly commendable. It is no wonder that Vodafone Ghana has won many awards over the years. SEO Audit of the Vodafone Ghana’s business from current content marketing & social media efforts The company generally creates content with the aim of driving business concerning telecommunications. The content is in various forms such as Devices, Business (products & solutions), Promotions and Vodafone Foundation (for Corporate Social Responsibility in Health & Environmental issues). The marketing content is distributed through the company’s website as well as off-site through conferences, public events and fliers. The company is quite active in its current efforts in content marketing and social media marketing. Vodafone Ghana uses mainly Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp as social media channels to reach its customers, Influencers and the general public every week. The company occasionally uses artistes such as popular singers, actors and filmmakers as Influencers. Many of the Influencers are the youth between the ages of 20 to 35 years. The Influencers are quite active on social media. Challenges As a result of an SEO Audit, the following challenges have been identified. Challenge #1: Telephony – Cutting calls • Voice calls are cut after a few seconds when one is talking with people on other networks. This practice should be stopped. • The cost of voice calls is high. It can be reduced. Challenge #2: SMS (Text Messaging) – Unsolicited Messages • There are too many promotional messages from the Vodafone network. This can be minimized. • Customers receive some unsolicited promotional messages from certain unknown persons & ‘ scammers. This practice should be stopped. Challenge #3: Mobile Money Transfer (MoMo) – Cyber Fraud There are too many instances of cyber fraud. The technology should be improved to minimize or eradicate this practice. Challenge #4: Internet Connectivity – High cost The cost of Internet Connectivity is quite high. It should be reduced to make it affordable to a lot of people. Challenge #5: Clientele – Number of customers can be increased Vodafone Ghana does not have the greatest number of telecom customers in Ghana. The number can be increased by developing some products for children and retirees or the aged. RECOMMENDATIONS for content production & distribution • Vodafone Ghana should be creating data to meet the interests of all ages – children, the youth and the aged. • The company should be distributing its content through its website, social media and fliers. • Vodafone Ghana can leverage its content by publication of some of its content in various media: print & electronic media such as Radio & TV talk shows, at Conferences & Webinars, on its website and the use of fliers. It can also reach out to schools & Universities. Through these means, it can build and grow its business. <b>CONCLUSIONb> • It is my view that Vodafone Ghana can update its Content Strategy if the above challenges & Suggested solutions are implemented. • The company can identify, produce & distribute content that is suitable to its target audience. Finally, I wish to state from my point of view as a customer, that Vodafone Ghana is performing creditably. But there is the need to address the challenges I have pointed out so that it can achieve maximum success.