Our world is digital. All organizations are becoming increasingly data-driven and data is becoming the new gold. At the same time, there are still parts of the world where the digital divide persists.
Everyone has the ability to do something and impact people with their actions, which makes you a leader. That’s why I feel honored to attend the European Development Days and Young Leaders program which will help me to share my ideas with decision-makers about the economic impact of digital and data in counties like my own, where the data divide persists.
When I went abroad to study, I discovered something exciting that I had never seen before. We could find our coursework and homework online on a secure platform without going onto campus. That sounds like something normal for most people, but not where I grew up. It was at that moment that I became interested in the power of digital and its applications.
Studying towards a degree in digital technology, I became increasingly interested in how it can help improve people’s economic experience every day. I have been working in tech for the last two years and I co-founded a startup with the goal of helping every company to use digital as an opportunity to expand their operations. After working with companies in Cameroon, I’m convinced that digital is a key to economic growth in developing nations. To me, creating a meaningful impact in the digital space in developing countries involves quality digital education instead of simply increasing the number of digital services. I also focus on collaboration and data sharing between organizations using a unified rather than fractured digitization strategy.
During EDD, I will be talking about «Contribution of Digital to Africa's economic growth and progress» which is a topic that encompasses so many different elements. I’ll share my ideas based on my experience being involved in, as well as spearheading projects that promote digital as a key for development.
I hope to bring positive change in this space by forming new collaborations between Africa and Europe as I started with Je m’engage pour l’afrique. This could include, for example, creating a human-centered data governance model. Making the digital realm more inclusive is also a subject that is very important to me and I strongly believe that participation at all levels is needed to build a digital future where nobody is left behind. As that "data guy", I can say that there are so many examples of how economies can grow if we unleash the power of data. First, we have to collect and share this data and that is why I am leading a project that will consist of creating an open-data platform where anyone can find accurate data and insights about specific topics in Africa in real-time.
I am especially excited that the European Developments Days will bring young people from around the world to talk about their work. I am also excited about the opportunity to engage with different stakeholders and create the right exchange of knowledge and resources. I look forward to having increased visibility for my work so that we can meet people with whom we can create synergies.
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