Technology Spotlight: Ethiopia Goes Block to the Future
Atala PRISM, an application built on the Cardano blockchain will soon give social inclusion to an unprecedented 5 million students and teachers at all elementary and secondary schools in Ethiopia--by far the largest government-blockchain agreement to date.
The PRISM application will provide an immutable record of academic performance, attendance, and diplomas--but more importantly will provide identity documentation to empower people who have been disenfranchised from legacy systems. Identification ownership eventually will transform users’ ability to access financial and insurance services, to obtain and prove land ownership, and allow employers to quickly verify work history and credentials. The platform also has the potential for reconstructing current voting systems into one that is more accessible to citizenry and less corruptible by governments or third parties.
Unique biometric data is used to create the digital ID and is accessed via phone or tablet, though a low-cost smart card will be available for sharing access to one’s credentials that are stored on the blockchain. The Ethiopian government also is issuing tablets to all teachers and students, as well as access to a dedicated internet network. Despite this, current estimates are that 78% of the 1.1 billion in sub-Saharan Africa do not have internet access. Charles Hoskinson of blockchain research organization IOHK predicts that “by 2030, the vast majority of people in Africa, well over 90% will have high speed internet connectivity through some means.” These means will likely include cellular access via World Mobile and Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network.
Decentralizing legacy systems doesn’t mean local participants will have no contribution. Encouraging a collaborative mindset, iceaddis, Ethiopia’s first innovation hub incubator providing support for tech startups related to local demands and development, aims to realize the potential of its young technology community and enable active participation in changing their local environment and gaining economic empowerment. As an Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) organization, illuminAid looks on with optimistic gaze toward new ICT4D technologies that will help bridge the digital divide in developing countries around the globe.