Global Digital Divide: How African Countries are Offered Less-Sophisticated Apps

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit two countries in Africa (Nigeria and Morocco). Before then, I had spent the last 13 months living in Europe and visited North America. Being a tech enthusiast, I took joy exploring the tech ecosystem in Europe and North America, taking advantage of unique features of most tech products.
On arrival at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria I was shocked to find out that peculiar features of some apps I had on my phone were no longer working. For example, Facebook market was not working. Facebook market is an e-commerce platform attached to Facebook for its users to buy and sell. I wanted to confirm this myself because a friend told me some time ago.
I tried to listen to music on YouTube Music and I found the same thing. I got the notification “YouTube Music is not available in your area.” YouTube Music is an audio music streaming app by YouTube Inc which allows users to listen to music unlimitedly. I had same experience in the few days spent in Casablanca, Morocco.
After a few days in Abuja, Nigeria, I tried to transfer some money from my international bank account to Nigerian bank account using popular mobile money transfer apps such as World Remit and Azimo, I was shocked to find out that users in the region where I was were not eligible to send money. Before then, I remember telling a friend of mine to transfer some money to me from Nigeria while I was in the UK, using same apps. He gave the same complaint.
Hence, these cases have proven that there is growing global digital divide by top Western tech companies towards developing countries. In fact, I am of the opinion that irrespective of regions of location customers of tech products should enjoy same user-experience. Tech companies should at least offer all users same features and then allow users decide whether they have the capacity to utilise them or not.
Unfortunately, the problem of global digital divide is one which African leaders are yet to even recognise. The problem will become more complicated in the coming years with the continued spread of advanced innovation in the areas of AI and Blockchain.
The solution to this problem is straightforward. It is time African leaders began to look in supporting home-grown tech companies to be able to compete with their Western counterparts. If we don’t support our own local tech companies, we will continue to be served less-sophisticated tech products. China already realised this long ago by ensuring her citizens are locked in to local tech products such as WeChat and QQ.
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Damilola Olisa is a media and communications professional and social entrepreneur with interest in using communication tools to support development and social change.
You can connect with him on Twitter @dami_olisa