Senior ICT and Management Consultant, Dr. Tony A. Bediako, has urged policymakers, educators, and development stakeholders to embrace a decisive shift towards digital transformation in education, describing it as the bridge between “hope and opportunity” for the Global South. 

With over three decades of experience in the ICT and management sector, Dr. Bediako delivered an impassioned address that underscored the urgency of reimagining education to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving world.

He made the call when he delivered the second keynote address on the theme: "The Role of Digital Transformation in Education: Challenges and Opportunities for the Global South" during the International Conference on Education, Development and Innovation (INCEDI) on Monday 11, 2025, at the Centrelink Conference, Methodist University Ghana, Dansoman Campus, Accra.

Dr. Bediako contrasted the slow pace of change in classroom models across much of Africa and other developing regions with the technological leaps being made globally.

“Imagine a classroom in 1825 — a teacher with chalk in hand, wooden benches neatly arranged.

Now imagine a classroom in many parts of the Global South today: the same wooden benches, perhaps a whiteboard replacing the chalkboard, but the teaching model is largely unchanged,” he said.

“Meanwhile, the world outside those walls has transformed beyond recognition.

The question before us is urgent: how do we ensure our education systems not only keep pace but thrive in the age of the now?” he asked.

Tracing the arc of human progress through major revolutions — agricultural, industrial, scientific, Dr. Bediako likened the present era to the transformative disruptions of the past, describing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Digital Revolution, as “faster, borderless, and constantly evolving.” 

He highlighted how digital technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and internet-based platforms are redefining economies, human interaction, and the very nature of learning.

Drawing lessons from other sectors, Dr. Bediako cited transformative digital innovations in finance, agriculture, and governance.

He referenced the success of mobile money in Ghana and Kenya, the drone medical delivery service Zipline, and Ghana’s fully digitised passport application system as examples of how digital tools can radically improve service delivery and access.

“If digital transformation can redefine finance, healthcare, and governance, why not education?” In the Global South, digital transformation in education is not only possible, it is already in motion.

The question is whether we will accelerate it or let inequality deepen,” he added.

Dr. Bediako stressed that digital transformation in education requires a systemic approach, involving not just the introduction of technology but the rethinking of processes, models, and functions across the entire educational ecosystem. He emphasised the need to focus on the learner while also integrating all stakeholders, from teachers and administrators to policymakers and industry partners, into the transformation process.

Key characteristics of successful digital transformation, he noted, include leveraging technology effectively, streamlining processes, adopting a data-driven culture, and placing the end-user, in this case, students, at the centre of planning and implementation.

“The world we live in is data-driven. Data is the lifeblood of every organisation.

In education, this means using analytics to track learning progress, identify gaps, and improve decision-making,” he stated.

Dr. Bediako urges the Global South to embrace digital transformation not as a distant aspiration but as an urgent, actionable agenda.

“Digital transformation is the bridge between the hope of our young people and the opportunities they deserve. It is time to reimagine education, not just improve it,” he added.