Africa Blockchain Alliance: Building an interconnected continent
Africa Blockchain Alliance (ABA) was born out of the realisation that one man alone or a few individuals cannot make a significant change to a continent as rich and diverse as Africa. To help in this quest, the idea of ABA was born to create a network of highly motivated, Afrocentric individuals, groups and organisations willing to bet on the future of the continent.
We believe that unlocking blockchain technology on the continent would lead to increased intra-Africa integration through easier movement of people, value, goods and services. Blockchain technology has the potential to unlock better access to financial and health services, create new jobs and a host of other benefits. The promise of blockchain, therefore, informs our vision of an interconnected Africa where there is free movement of resources to uplift Africans.
The African blockchain landscape is currently at an early stage with few blockchain support services and structures. ABA has created various platforms and partnerships to educate and network blockchain stakeholders across the continent. We have grown to 9 country associations (and counting) who are pushing for blockchain adoption in their countries and all across the continent. This has involved both tech and non-tech education, as well as engagement with policymakers in different countries. We have successfully co-hosted and organised meetups, conferences, discussions and other community engagement efforts that regularly bring blockchain actors together in various African cities to explore local use cases with their local context in mind. We also have members and advocates working towards accelerating blockchain adoption across the continent. We provide ongoing support and guidance to various blockchain projects operating in Africa or looking to get into the African market.
Technology and in particular the internet has truly revolutionised humanity. It has enabled seamless social and business interactions and broken down geographical borders such that the world is now one huge global village. However, it is of utmost importance that we recognise the problems and challenges the internet has created in order to solve them. This massive growth of the internet has led to violations of individuals’ privacy, autonomy by a few powerful entities, and inequality which has left many people behind. Many of these people left behind are in Africa. The benefits of the internet also assume that everyone can get on the internet. Many people in Africa cannot. This is perhaps because in the foundational and early days of the internet, platforms and protocols that could have made the internet work for many people in Africa may not have been considered. There are 1 billion+ people in Africa and billions more in the developing and emerging world who we need to put into consideration as we build for Web3.
We at ABA believe that with Web3 (blockchain), majority of the people in Africa and other emerging markets can be carried along into the digital age. We actually have a chance to make an input into the protocols, platforms and solutions for Web3 such that it works for the majority of our people and those in the emerging world. ABA has launched various task teams to research, propose and develop practical steps and solutions that can help bridge this digital divide using blockchain. Our task teams in collaboration with partners and members have identified use cases with the local African context in mind. We will be proposing and building practical solutions to help address these problems. These proposals and solutions will be shared at our forthcoming gatherings, partner events and also published through our media channels.
It’s an exciting year ahead for ABA as we will be on-boarding more country associations and embarking on massive blockchain education (both tech and non-tech). We will also be collaborating with various local and international groups, building vibrant communities of blockchain enthusiasts on the continent, and proposing practical solutions that will make Web3 work for people in Africa and the developing world. We invite you to join us in this movement to make Web3 and the world more inclusive, open and fair.
Please visit www.afriblockchain.org for more information
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