BAM is a Talent-Driven Movement, Not Just Another Tech Initiative in West Africa

Nov 2, 2024

BAM is a Talent-Driven Movement, Not Just Another Tech Initiative in West Africa

Nov 2, 2024

But talent empowerment still allows Africa to adapt to emerging technologies like AI and blockchain.

Blockchain educators in the age of rampant digitalization must adapt to a new crop of learners who not only select the organizations they engage with but also demand hands-on, relevant skills that align with real-world applications. In Africa, this adaptation—though it may appear difficult—is significant: to empower and motivate the next generation of African tech leaders, developers, and entrepreneurs to achieve their full potential (Bold African Movement’s (BAM) core vision).

You can view it [as though] BAM is removing dependence on mainstream education and awareness channels, or you can look at it as an opportunity to mobilize native learners who are not readily accessible through institutional efforts. Recognize that movements like BAM are in progress and develop a plan to leverage their momentum —how to engage, collaborate, and grow with them.

Learners are interested and focused on building applications targeting Africa’s pertinent sectors, including agriculture, real estate, governance, and healthcare, without waiting for Western innovations. “People (in Tanzania) know about blockchain and its potentiality to open up different opportunities in our country,” said Joseph Hongoa during the Blockchain in Dar Hackathon in April 2024.

Such pressures create a new landscape for blockchain education in Africa, a reality that questions unique socio-economic challenges. Blockchain transformative power vis-à-vis increased mobile adoption in Africa has created unprecedented opportunities for financial inclusion and decentralized services. The centralized web has been grappling with how to tackle this issue, how to approach it, and what actions it should take in response, as it cannot resolve every challenge or manage everything effectively.

Educators should know that African youth want to build applications, with blockchain serving as a driving force for change. Previously, people desired inclusive apps but lacked the means to create them. Instead, they depended on centralized systems, such as Momo or Mpesa. Now, it’s become much easier for them to develop applications on a decentralized network.

Africa is worried that such “centralized” apps create inevitable risks, but Diane Fonkoua (the Founder of BAM) has recognized the flexibility of blockchain to open up use cases that match Africa’s problems.

Photos by @JoinbamXyz on X

The Birth of Pan-African Web3 Spirit

A team of tech leaders has joined the BAM to undo the digital transformation excesses previously employed by the controlled web.

BAM’s events and hackathons in Senegal, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Tanzania deserve recognition as propellers of the “Internet of Independence.” A few months ago, on April 13, 2024, the community organized an event in Tanzania to address issues of blockchain-based payments, builder opportunities, regenerative finance, and regulation, culminating in a hackathon.

The past four months of blockchain-driven innovation were set in motion with another event in Babi, Ivory Coast—the first Web3 hackathon in the country, championed by BAM. These activities to highlight blockchain use cases have resulted in a vibrant and open internet that serves as an exceptional foundation for innovation.

“Given the success of Blockchain in Babi which exceeded our expectations, the organization is delighted to announce the next two events of this type, the first of which will be held in Douala on August 23 and 24 and the second in Dakar on October 3 and 4,” said Steve Kengne , spokesperson and events coordinator for BAM.

“Blockchain in Mboa in Cameroon will continue the mission of promoting a better understanding of blockchain technology and its potential as well as teaching local developers the Solidity language to stimulate economic development in Africa,” he continued. The event benefited from the support of local Web3 stakeholders like Katika and Blockchain for Africa, in addition to international leaders such as Tether.

The Blockchain in Dakar event in Senegal will incorporate the same elements as the previous two events, featuring a hackathon, conferences, and workshops, all backed by Kucibok, the first NFT marketplace focused on African art. This event will be organized in collaboration with the Senegalese government’s General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth.

With this foundation set, it is crucial to acknowledge that BAM’s activities include a partnership with another giant blockchain educator—ICP Hub Sahara, which is emulating its East African counterpart, ICP Hub Kenya, in empowering the next generation of African builders. This ICP hub supports some of the hackathons where developers gain hands-on experience building dApps on ICP.

Ironically, BAM has achieved a lot within a short time by democratizing and professionalizing blockchain and Bitcoin education in Africa, meant to offer intensive training courses, online courses, conferences, workshops, and even video game tournaments. BAM has gone down the untrodden path of adopting a modern-centric, utility-style education under its progressive tech outfit.

Photos by @JoinbamXyz on X

What is BAM Building, Anyway?

When people think of blockchain, they think of a decentralized web — one where control does not rely on a single authority—thanks to countless Web3 education and awareness efforts throughout Africa.

But what is BAM promoting, really?

BAM has powered African builders to empower their local economies via their blockchain solutions. Their applications address challenges across various sectors, from agriculture to healthcare, by leveraging blockchain’s key attributes such as efficiency, autonomy, and transparency.

We talk about blockchain as a kind of future technology. But we’re surrounded by everyday problems that blockchain can solve effectively.

BAM-driven blockchain projects (so bear with me) have included ImpactInvest (connecting investors with local entrepreneurs), Billetterie (ticketing), NFT Book (empowering authors), Ndugu App (sustainable agriculture), AdminService (secure documents), Teranga Chain (connecting farmers and consumers), E-voting (decentralized voting), Solidarity Block (social data), and Fagaru (medical records’ management).

There are solutions for almost everything with ongoing projects, including Blood Chain (blood shortages), Certifyd (combating diploma fraud), Jumba’a Art (empowering artists), LandX (land management), Smart Lease (real estate leasing), TontChain (collective savings), Trash Berry (cleaner and healthier cities), and ANADA (administrative documentation).

The solutions above can simplify our lives significantly. When you look at the range of BAM-driven blockchain projects, it is clear they are paving the way for more transparent, secure, and accessible services across all areas of life.

We are starting to be reliant on blockchain technology without even realizing it. As these BAM-driven projects expand, they are quietly embedding blockchain into the core of everyday tasks, making complex processes simpler, reducing fraud, and enhancing trust in legacy systems.

The narrative that blockchain will always be a buzzword without practical use cases is false. And the narrative that most African problems can’t be solved using technology—well, as BAM has demonstrated—is false, too.

We are already part of an economy and society that somewhat needs blockchain technology. Its potential is around us, and BAM is making us recognize it.