Blockchain technology has become synonymous with cryptocurrencies and the related ecosystem. This has included applications in DeFi and NFTs which have blown up in popularity in recent years.
However, blockchain technology has also been applied in other sectors outside of finance, particularly in Africa, a part of the world that is associated with big problems.
Here are 4 examples showing how African countries and organizations are putting the blockchain to use to solve some of the continent’s hardest problems.
Enabling All-in-One Citizen Identity Card – Kenya
Kenya’s government is rolling out an ambitious project that will enable Kenyans to receive services using just one card.
Huduma Namba, which translates to Service Number, is the Kenyan Government’s idea to introduce a single identity number and card system that can help to improve service access and delivery to citizens.
Registrations that will be harmonized into ONE Huduma Number include:
√ Registration and replacement of ID Card
√ Application and renewal of Driving License
√ Registration for Passport and Alien Card
√ Registration for NHIF and NSSF cards
√ Registration for Birth and Death Certificates
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Push to Boost Education Performance – Ethiopia
In coordination with Cardano Africa, the Ethiopian government is implementing a blockchain-based national student and teacher ID and attainment recording system.
The system is there to:
- Digitally verify grades
- Remotely monitor school performance
- Boost nationwide education and employment
The aim is to give all students blockchain-verified digital qualifications that reduce fraudulent university and job applications and increase social mobility by allowing potential employers to verify all grades without third-party agencies.
Simplifying the Sharing of Shipping Documents – Egypt
The government of Egypt, through its customs authority, introduced an integrated information platform referred to as the National Single Window for Foreign Trade Facilitation – NAFEZA – in 2021.
The platform is there to simplify the sharing of maritime and transportation documentation through a single window that can be received by all authorities from all traders. Businesses and the trade community are able submit all documents and transactions for customs, control authorities, and ports.
CargoX, a blockchain startup that has built a Blockchain Document Transfer (BDT), was selected for immutably registering and transferring the shipping documents using the Ethereum blockchian technology.
Giving Everyone Acesss to the Internet – Zanzibar
Mesh internet network operator, World Mobile, has partnered with the Zanzibar eGovernment Agency to launch free metered Wi-Fi Internet access at public-facing government institutions.
World Mobile says it is the first blockchain mobile network powered and run by World Mobile Token ($WMT) owners.
The company has developed a blockchain-powered wireless mesh network which consists of a set of devices or nodes that work together to share data and information without a centralized point of failure.
In its whitepaper, World Mobile indicates that the primary role of the $WMT is to incentivize token holders that want to support the operation of the network by way of delegating their $WMT stake to a node operator (stakers), as well as node operators that operate their own nodes.
The above are some of the more interesting applications of blockchain technology outside of finance being implement in Africa. The continent is littered with solutions applying blockchain technology.
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Feel free to share more blockchain implementations across the continent via our email for publishing at [email protected].
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RECOMMENDED READING: Blockchain and Intellectual Property Rights – Use Cases and the Legal Implications
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