ZoneBitcoin Editorial
Project Afropolitan is a movement that aims to create a digital nation for Africans, the diaspora and for all those who want to create a strong Africa. Founded by Eche Emole et Chika Uwazie in 2016, Afropolitan is a community project designed as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). The idea is to rely on blockchain technology to create economic and financial opportunities on the continent.
With a bold vision to build Africa’s first internet nation, the Afropolitan Project has raised $2,1 million to make this vision a reality. In this article, we will explore in detail what the Afropolitan Project is, why this initiative is important and what are the steps to building a digital nation in Africa.
Presentation of the Afropolitan project
The Afropolitan is a network that aims to create a digital nation for Africans and the diaspora. It is an online community that brings together the best talents from Africa and the diaspora in fields such as art, finance, technology, health, energy, sports and media . The Afropolitan network focuses on four main pillars: talent, culture, capital and information technology.
It aims to enable Africans to build a thriving digital space by providing opportunities, fostering culture, providing financial resources and sharing information to community members.
The word “Afropolitan” was not chosen randomly for this project. Generally, the term refers to individuals who have African roots but were raised elsewhere in the world. They have an interest in the African continent and seek to have a positive impact there. Many people go the opposite way of their parents and settle in Africa, in order to live there.
According to Afropolitan, if the African Diaspora were a country, it would represent the 10th most populous country with over 150 million people. According to TechCrunch, the ambition to create a digital nation is fueled by the lack of opportunity that plagues "the world's poorest continent; nine of the 10 countries with the highest poverty rates are African. The continent's long-standing problems with wars and gerontocrats limit the socio-economic opportunities of its population."
Participate in the emancipation of Africa
They are often people with diverse cultural backgrounds and political awareness. According to Brendah Nyakudya, editor-in-chief of Afropolitan magazine, “being Afropolitan means having a commitment to the betterment of the African continent.”
The term "Afropolitan" can also apply to non-African people who have a love and interest in the African continent. According to Tolu Ogunlesijournalist Nigerian based in Lagos, the term is often applied only to those living in the diaspora. He believes that the term should instead be used to describe people living in urban environments with a world-oriented outlook. The idea is that no matter where you were born, if you are on the African continent and you love it, that makes you an Afropolitan.
Minna Salami, Finnish-Nigerian blogger who founded elle magazine Msafropolitan, however, believes that Afropolitanism is not limited to the African diaspora. According to her, it is a conscious political movement that uses African culture in creative ways to change perceptions about Africa.
She emphasizes that social media played a key role in this movement by creating a global community of citizens aware of the same cultural trends and the same political issues.
Thus, the movement Black Lives Matter (BLM) which emerged in the United States in response to police brutality and racial inequalities specifically targeting African-Americans, became a global phenomenon with demonstrations in Paris, London, Berlin, etc. The phenomenon showed international solidarity on brutality police actions against the black community around the world.
Creating a digital nation for the African diaspora
Afropolitan has attracted the attention of many investors, including the famous Balaji srinivasan, former CTO of Coinbase, who wrote the book “ The Network State: How To Start a New Country"In his book, Balaji Srinivasan explains that with the Internet, it is possible to create businesses, communities and even new nations.
According to Srinivasan, the Network State is a digital nation that first exists as an online community before materializing physically after reaching a sufficient population.
Thus, the Afropolitan project is inspired by this work to create a digital nation for the African diaspora.
Afropolitan leverages blockchain technology to develop applications and services to make life easier for community members. The idea is to increase the possibilities and opportunities that this new economy offers for Africans. Apps like MARA, Nestcoin or, Jambo will then be called upon to develop the Afropolitan digital nation.
The different phases of development of Afropolitan
Concretely, Afropolitan has put in place a four-phase plan to realize its vision of the digital nation for the African diaspora.
- In the first phase, the Afropolitan network focuses on raising awareness around the community and the digital nation it seeks to build. They have launched a non-fungible token (NFT) campaign that will serve as a digital passport for members. THE Afropolitan NFTs also give members access to exclusive events and value-added services. The objective is to bring together passionate and committed members who are determined to build a better world for Africans.
- The second phase is to provide community members with the greatest possible value and utility through the Afropolitan Super App. This app brings together all the different features and services of the Afropolitan ecosystem in one place, allowing members to manage their assets, send money abroad, contribute to the DAO and purchase goods and services. The app also features a native media feed allowing members to stay informed of the latest developments within the network. The goal is to create a sense of community and momentum within the network, making it a movement.
- In the third phase, Afropolitan focuses on the transition from digital to the real world. The objective is to establish legitimacy and state capacity by building a network of institutions to govern the Afropolitan network. This will include subsidiary funds, organizations and a developing internal economy. The goal is to ensure that the network is well equipped to govern itself and effectively serve its members once it migrates from digital to the real world.
- Finally, in the fourth and final phase, Afropolitan will use the network, capital, and legitimacy it has accumulated in previous phases to acquire land in partnership with governments. This land will create a physical presence for the Afropolitan network, where members can establish their physical presence and create economic opportunities. The network state will serve as a “digital capital” that will govern these physical districts. In the long term, Afropolitan plans to build a larger network of partnerships with other cities around the world.
Final word
Afropolitans represent a new African generation and people of African descent who have a global outlook and seek to make a positive impact on the African continent.
Building a digital nation for Africans and the diaspora is an ambitious project that aims to provide opportunities and foster economic development in the region. Afropolitan offers an innovative approach using Bitcoin and Web3 technologies to create an abundance network and a dynamic community.
By allowing Africans to choose their national affiliation and actively participate in building this digital nation, Afropolitan opens the way to new possibilities and a better future for all.
–>Discover the project Afropolitan
