From having a record-breaking number of citizens’ interest in Cryptocurrency to building hotels that accept Bitcoin payments, Africans keep upping the ante in the race to become big players in the ever-growing global crypto ecosystem.
This time around, the bar is raised even higher as the government of Ethiopia finalizes plans to move its education identity management database to a fully digitalized blockchain network. In partnership with Input-Output HK Media (IOHK) – the creators of Cardano cryptocurrency – the nation is set to capture over 5 million students’ data spanning 3,500 schools across the country with an additional 750,000 storage for documentation of the performance data of teachers.
IOHK in an announcement via twitter on Tuesday says it hopes to deploy the Atala PRISM, a decentralized blockchain system native to Cardano that guarantees users secure access to private data and safe transactions in its project with the Ethiopian government. For this project, students will benefit by having their academic records stored on an easily retrievable decentralized ledger and monitored by the Education Ministry while teachers can take advantage of the structure to share educational materials, expertise methods and best practices.
The recent development is a huge milestone in the long road to Ethiopia’s proposed digital transformation plans which would see the nation leverage the power of technology to boost agriculture, improve tourism, and attract foreign investment.
While the government of Nigeria continues to strap regulatory dumbbells on the nation’s high-flying cryptocurrency market, the Ethiopian government by partnering with Cardano – the pioneer proof of stake Altcoin – has opted to harness the power of blockchain technology to deliver effective systems for her people.
More details about the project will be announced on Thursday.
Here’s a look at the tweet by IOHK:
“We couldn’t make you wait till Thursday! We’re announcing our partnership with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education to create a blockchain-based National ID and attainment recording system. Rolling out to 5M students, this is the world’s largest blockchain deployment #CardanoAfrica
Based on Atala PRISM, the ID will allow the creation of secure records of educational performance for 3.5k schools, 5M students, and 750k teachers, giving all pupils verifiable digital qualifications, increasing social mobility and allowing lesson planning and attainment monitoring
This partnership is at the heart of Ethiopia’s Digital; Transformation Strategy. IOHK has long recognized how developing world countries could uniquely benefit from blockchain, and this deployment is key in our vision for Africa.“