Blockchain Was Built for Africa, It’s As Easy As ABCD

Africa, a continent with a checkered past. Mention the words ‘booming economy’ and most people’s attention turns Eastward. If America was the blueprint for economic success, then China wrenched the model from their hands and, ironically, capitalized massively on it, transforming itself into the global powerhouse of forward thinking we see today. Yet nothing lasts forever, and just as Cardano was able to build off of Bitcoin and Ethereum success, exploiting their weaknesses and revolutionising the technology, now it’s Africa’s turn to take its place in the sun.

Mining for Talent

Africa is being mined once again, but this time in a sustainable manner, and in a way that will benefit its citizens. In 2021 it’s being mined from within, the diamonds and minerals appear in the form of passion, talent, creativity and ambition. The raw materials were always there, laying dormant as the world ignorantly went about its business. So now, in the advent of Cardano, the chrysalis of ingenuity has opened, ABCD (Africa Blockchain Center for Developers) has spread its wings and is ready to fly, paving the foundations on which a new generation will stand. This revolution will be peaceful, disruptive but far from chaos. Armed with nothing more than resilience and the desire to create a better world, ABCD are here to make a meteoric impact. Having narrowly missed out on the goods in Fund2, they’ve taken the time to develop, refining their proposal so that it better meets the needs of the Cardano community in Africa. A community they are eager to praise for the selfless time spent providing feedback. But who are ABCD?

Circa 2019

ABCD all started with the Proof of Africa (POA) stake pool, which is where all of the current funding comes from. Founded in 2019 by the visionary Joshua Akpan, co-founder of Liqwid Finance, this impressive initiative aims to bridge the developer-skills gap in Africa. For several years now Joshua has worked tirelessly. Raising awareness of blockchain technology to his local community and afar by any means necessary, hosting workshops and preaching in an almost evangelical manner, (to quote the man himself). Assisting him in this endeavour is Gwendal Le Divechen, a maths teacher who runs the day to day activities of Proof of Africa. His enthusiasm for the potential of the Cardano ecosystem cannot be underestimated, and he wants to make one thing abundantly clear. “The aim is to empower Africa to stand on her own two feet.” This is uncharted  territory with an endless horizon, and blockchain should not be used simply to emulate the economic (and self-destructive) success of the west, rather to carve out a new way for society to flourish.

“Blockchain Was Built for Africa”

Their mission is clear, to stimulate the establishment and growth of technology based start up companies, and other blockchain – enabled businesses. As Joshua says, “Blockchain was built for Africa,” which without any pre-existing infrastructure to replace, is somewhat of a blank canvas, soon to be a work of art. In fulfilment of their objectives, ABCD will contribute to local job creation, local business development, on boarding the global Cardano ecosystem, contribute to the rise of blockchain technologies and decentralisation in Africa, creation of Smart Contracts and decentralised apps (Dapps). In both the immediate and long term future, ABCD will facilitate enhanced economic health in Africa, while promoting and encouraging adoption of Cardano and blockchain technologies throughout the continent.And thanks to decentralisation, they will begin to address some of the most pressing issues facing the inhabitants today. 

Prominent Issues in Africa

ID systems, land registration, blood donation, access to property, traceability, etc. These are all problems which are virtually alien to us in the west. Take the land registry as an example. Without proper ID, which is out of reach for the average citizen, it’s almost impossible to prove ownership of land. And with corruption rampant in Africa, the honest and hard working citizen is routinely ripped off by their unscrupulous counterparts. Land changes hands without recourse for the offending, and essentially thieving party. Yet with blockchain technology this will become a thing of the past, resigned to the history books as contracts cemented in digital stone become the norm, giving a whole new meaning to the term ‘proof of stake’.  

Partnerships With a Proven Track Record

By working hand in hand with the Cardano community, and in particular with African entities such as Gimbalabs, WADA, IOG Africa and African SPOs, ABCD has rock solid foundations for success . Their mission statement reads like a political manifesto, the envy of anyone running for office. Although after speaking with Joshua, Gwendal and the rest of the team, there’s every reason to believe that ABCD will actually deliver on their promises. They have a long track record of involvement in the development of initiatives related to the tech industry and blockchain, both in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

The Price Tag for Change

ABCD is seeking just $13,800 of investment to be used over six months, which will be allocated as follows.

• Power – (Rental / Fuel / Elect. / Maint.) : $100
• Networks – (Rental / Subscription) : $50
• Facility – (Rental / Maint.) : $150
• Adhoc staff : $1,000 (Secretaries, admin etc)
• Trainees salary (5 person.) : $1 000
Total for 1 month : $2300

This is a humble request when considering the benefits the project will bring to the local community, and eventually the rest of the continent. The funds have been calibrated to ensure minimum operation of the venture, while allowing the management team to develop the activity, (supervision of trainees, partnerships, collaboration with other projects, delivery of our first Dapps, etc.)

A Digital Evolution in the Cradle of Civilization

When we consider the fact that humanity was born out of Africa, it’s only fitting that its digital evolution, and indeed destiny should follow in the same, karmaic footsteps. In the coming years we’ll reflect on ABCD’s journey with reverence. The guiding hand that lifted Africa on its rightful ascent to the world stage.

”Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come.”(Victor Hugo).

If you’d like to know more information or have questions/comments regarding the ABCD proposal, check out the link.  Log in – Project Catalyst (Ideascale.com)