The Blockchain And Our Future: Africa Arise
The tools to empower Africa are now with us. It is a responsibility now. It is irresponsible to ignore the situations and not seize the day. These are tools of liberty and must be prized and develop as sacred to humanity - @Surfyogi
If you read those words and you think the message is for the governments and big corporations, you are wrong. In the last couple of days after meeting @Surfyogi, I have taken an in-depth study into how the Blockchain technology can solve real life problems in Africa.
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A lot of African state are still considered developing nations and have been held back by legacies of colonialism, this has resulted in issues like armed conflict, corruption and poverty. Blockchain technology is already making impact and garnering strength, which I believe it has the potential to make huge imparts on African economies and society.
This is a crucial moment in the economic advance of developing nations as Africa, the options of using many technologies to skip steps when it comes to economic transformation. We have the natural resources, the technology is here and our greatest resources - the people - offer large workforce which if properly utilise can leapfrog most developed nations, same way we jumped over the landlines and move straight to mobile phone.
How powerful can the blockchain be in Africa? The blockchain technology and cryptocurrency have the power to reshape africa by connecting the millions across the continent who have no access to information and financial services.
Real Problems? Real Solutions
A major challenge around the world today is corruption and transparency. Blockchain technology is decentralized, transparent leading to many possible use cases based on fighting corruption when deployed in elections and voting systems. We have seen the cases of a Swiss company, Agora, and their involvement in Sierra Leone last election.
How about in keeping an accurate and comprehensive records of public expenditure by public office holders. This could be very effective in combating fraud/corruption and promoting accountability.
Blockchain technology is useful in enabling cross-border remittance, disrupting energy and oil sectors, trading commodities, improving identity/verification systems, spreading education reach to many.
Now the problem is that we all expect governments and corporations to solve these problems with innovations. No dear, things have changed, the power is in our hands now. I want to see massive adoption of the blockchain cryptocurrency market in Africa. Thanks to people like @McSamm who are working hard to bring small businesses in Ghana to the steem blockchain where you and I can pay for goods and services via steem/sbd without the banks acting as exchanges. I have been buying mobile data for awhile now from @ciocolony with my steem/sbd without need for banks and no transaction charges.
If you are only on Steemit to write posts and hope for upvotes, you are not helping the nation and not helping yourself. Don't plan all your future only on making articles, get involve in blockchain tech, go online and read about it, grow above just making posts and start learning what else you can use the blockchain tech to do.
We are the government, We are the corporations, We are the change we want to see. Act it.
Image three from Pixabay.
Have you met surfyogi in person?
Yes.. This blockchain technology can be of a great help even in our professional life. Even here in India, most of the places are in their developing realm. We can build real human relationships across the globe which is really important.
Surfyogi is the visioner behind Wafrica community where I help as a curator, so we do communicate over the net.
I'm glad you know the power the blockchain tech posses, don't wait for the government and companies to utilize them. Think of how you can use them, build application on them to offer real life solutions. I hope you will be the reason people smile in India.
Very exciting. The way i look at it is also since there are not as many established institutions like in the west or Europe to resist blockchain they might even adopt blockchain tech faster than us. We could be looking at Africa as a new hub of innovation which is exciting.
You are right, the lack of legacy systems could facilitate faster, smoother adoption of emerging technologies such as blockchain.
POWER
The opportunities seem almost limitless for people to learn enough about the blockchain technology to begin using information systems at the most local levels to begin collecting information useful to the community. Waiting for governments to decide on the "best" way to do that will ultimately result in a cumbersome system that benefits the government and not the people.
Almost any database of information that benefits the local community would serve as an example of how beneficial the blockchain can be for them. Even a modest success would energize everyone, and you have a wonderful opportunity before you to make a real difference for people, @lordjames.
Will
Every Man is his own Sultan.