Vice-President in charge of research at IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Bright Simons, has urged government to remove barriers that prevent ordinary Ghanaians from earning a living through digital platforms.
Speaking at Joy News’ Digital Economy Forum on AI and the Ghana Economy on Wednesday, he warned that poorly designed licensing requirements could obstruct opportunities in the digital economy.
Mr Simons pointed to ride-hailing, food delivery and online content creation as examples of activities people had learned without extensive formal training.
“When you look at Uber and all the ride-sharing apps and all the e-commerce apps, a lot of the people that have benefited are ordinary people.”
He said users had figured out how to navigate mapping services, locate customers and deliver food. He argued their experience showed why policy must also focus on removing obstacles to work.
“I’m a big believer in the fact that when it comes to those kinds of things, typically the government is an impediment rather than an enabler.”
Mr Simons recalled resisting proposals to impose licensing requirements and local government obligations on ride-hailing services, including Uber and Bolt.
He also cited the public reaction to proposed licences for developers in Ghana. He warned against introducing requirements without carefully considering their effects.
“So we have to think about policy as also to include the things that remove barriers and bottlenecks for ordinary people,” he said.
For Mr Simons, the ability of ordinary people to acquire useful digital skills was already visible in everyday life. He pointed to WhatsApp users and YouTube creators as examples.
“Who builds schools to teach people how to use WhatsApp? Who builds schools to teach influencers how to do YouTube influencing?”
He said some content creators had achieved significant recognition through skills developed outside formal training programmes.
His argument placed the practical effects of regulation at the centre of the discussion. He maintained that supporting ordinary people also meant identifying the restrictions standing in their way.
Mr Simons rejected suggestions that examining those restrictions amounted to an abstract policy debate.
“Often they are impediments and bottlenecks in their way, and people like us who point them out should not be seen as discussing theory. It’s very practical.”