NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Sierra Leone President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and RippleNami Inc., a blockchain systems solution provider, announce a nationwide digitization program that will forever change Sierra Leone's global digital standing. By leapfrogging legacy information communication technology (ICT) systems with RippleNami's proprietary technology platform, Sierra Leone is poised to penetrate global markets, obtain economic independence, and elevate the prosperity of its people.
RippleNami architects the blockchain data visualization platform that empowers citizens and organizations across the nation to generate, collect, analyze and transact data while positioning Sierra Leone as Africa’s very first “Smart Country.”
In collaboration with the government of Sierra Leone and Data Edge Revenue, a Freetown systems integration company, RippleNami developed the application software that connects people, organizations and resources to services that create social, civic and economic opportunities far beyond any prior capabilities.
This collaboration’s first phase is a nationwide economic identification service. This program provides the digital credentials and collections systems to increase financial inclusion and to improve access to public and government-provided services. The implementation is underway and will roll out fourth-quarter 2017.
In addressing the UN General Assembly today, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Samura Kamara, speaking on behalf of President Koroma, said, “Today we announce a quantum leap towards digitizing a national program, empowering Sierra Leone to obtain economic independence and aggressively compete in global markets while elevating the prosperity of its people. For the first time in our nation's proud history, Sierra Leone, in partnership with RippleNami, will deploy the blockchain-data visualization system solution that enables Sierra Leone to generate, own, collect, analyze and transact data on a nationwide scale – making Sierra Leone Africa’s first “Smart Country.”
“For the first time ever, the people and organizations of Sierra Leone can leverage their individual and collective assets to fully participate in and benefit from the global economy,” said Phil Gahn, founder and chief business development officer of RippleNami. “The visionary leadership of President Koroma and the commitment of the people of Sierra Leone serve as a beacon for other West Africa nations to obtain and sustain a brighter future through digitization. Our partnership with Data Edge Revenue, and our experience delivering services on our platform in Sierra Leone, stand to benefit the entire region in unforeseen ways.”
Advancements in blockchain and cloud computing, as well as the country’s broad adoption of mobile lifestyles, enable Sierra Leone to leapfrog legacy ICT systems and make essential services affordable and quickly accessible at scale. “We operate with a clear understanding that data is the new currency in today’s economy,” said Jaye Connolly-LaBelle, president and chief executive officer of RippleNami. “This program cost-effectively positions countries like Sierra Leone to deploy data-driven services that dramatically improve the lives of their citizens and is easily replicable in neighboring countries.”
The visualization capabilities of RippleNami's platform play a central role in resource management and other planning disciplines undertaken by the government and citizens of Sierra Leone. These proprietary capabilities integrate blockchain transactions with other big data sources to help users detect patterns, identify trends and analyze gaps in ways that lead to better decisions in shorter timeframes.
The program also involves a unique service deployment model leading to faster large-scale adoption of the platform enabled services. Sierra Leone government ministries, municipal councils and private businesses in collaboration with RippleNami and Data Edge Revenue are honored to launch and promote these services throughout the country.
About RippleNami, Inc.
RippleNami develops and deploys complete blockchain-based solutions to accelerate mass adoption of digital technologies in any developing country. RippleNami solutions drive new standards for cost-effectiveness and scalability, empowering any nation to transform itself through digitization, and swiftly benefit from a “Smart Country” standing. RippleNami's blockchain data visualization platform integrates diverse data sets from unlimited sources. The platform’s visualization capability paints a multi-dimensional picture of all relevant information to quickly identify trends, patterns and gaps to produce informed decisions faster. RippleNami solutions enable emergent economies to generate process, manage, share and transact information on a national scale – opening up a world of opportunities for economic inclusion for its citizens and independence for the nation. For more information about RippleNami, visit ripplenami.com
About Data Edge Revenue
Based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Data Edge Revenue is focused on delivering and deploying integrated blockchain technology solutions to help West African countries become fully digitized. The company works directly with government ministries, local businesses and non-governmental organizations to deploy blockchain technology to help them better serve their communities.
About Sierra Leone
The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa with a total area of more than 70,000 km (27,000 sq. mi) and a population of more than 7 million people. In the last decade, President Ernest Bai Koroma’s Agenda for Change, followed by his Agenda for Prosperity, the country has made significant economic and infrastructure advancements. By implementing a blockchain information infrastructure, the country takes a dramatic step to becoming an economically independent and prosperous nation and Africa’s first Smart Country.
