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August 19, 2019

Comments to the U.S. International Trade Commission Regarding the Digital Economy and Trade in Sub-Saharan Africa

ITIF’s submission focuses on the ITC’s interest in recent developments in the digital economy for key SSA markets, including national and regional regulatory and policy measures and market conditions that affect digital trade.

May 6, 2019

Fact of the Week: Ethiopian Youth Given $300 Start-up Grants at Random had 36 Percent Higher Wages After One Year, But No Effect After Five Years

When attempting to evaluate the effect that a policy intervention can have on development or innovation, researchers and policymakers routinely look to short-term impacts, both out of urgency and because of the difficulty in maintaining contact with participants over several years.

October 22, 2018

Fact of the Week: Adoption of Mobile Money in Kenya Lifted 194,000 Households Out of Extreme Poverty

Over the last decade, mobile money services have brought banking to populations that have lacked formal financial services by allowing users to manage money on their mobile phones. First launched in Kenya in 2007, 96 percent of Kenyan households now use mobile money and can withdraw funds in physical currency from 110,000 agents across the country.

August 29, 2017

The Handheld Cardio-Pad: Tackling Cardiovascular Disease in Africa Through Innovation

Meet Arthur Zang, a 29 year-old Cameroonian engineer who invented the handheld Cardio-Pad, the world’s first medical tablet facilitating heart examinations and remote diagnosis. The Cardio-Pad is a touch-screen tablet device for conducting cardiac tests such as electrocardiograms in remote locations, and then sending the results to cardiologists in city centers often hundreds of miles away.

August 7, 2017

Zipline Enables Real-time Delivery of Essential Medical Supplies in Rwanda

Rwanda’s government, which has declared a vision of making the country a technology and innovation hub for Africa, has partnered with the startup Zipline to facilitate the real-time delivery of urgent medical supplies, such as blood or vaccines, to patients in remote locations via drones.

May 22, 2017

How Joining the Information Technology Agreement Spurs Growth in Developing Nations

By reducing costs, the ITA leads to increased use of ICT goods, which spurs productivity and economic growth while deepening enterprises’ participation in global value chains. This generates new tax revenues to partially or fully offset tariff losses.

March 15, 2017

Fact of the Week: University Scientists in Five Developing Countries Increased Their Publishing Productivity 43 Percent When They Had Free Access to Scientific Journals

Providing universities in developing countries greater access to scientific journals increases publications by 43 percent, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

January 9, 2017

Fact of the Week: Living Standards In Sub-Saharan Africa Could Rise 30 Percent If Mobile Phone Penetration Rates Increased From 25 Phones Per 100 People To 75

If the Sub-Saharan African mobile penetration rate could be brought up to 75 phones per 100 people, it would be possible for living standards to increase an average of 30 percent, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

October 14, 2016

Fact of the Week: Among Low-Income Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Uganda Have Shown the Most Progress Since 2012 in Developing Innovation Capabilities

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) annual Global Innovation Index, which ranks nations’ innovation ecosystems according to 82 indicators, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Uganda distinguish themselves as low-income Sub-Saharan nations that have shown the most progress since 2012 in developing better innovation ecosystems, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

April 5, 2016

Is Nigeria Undermining Its Digital Economy With Bad Policy Decisions?

Nigel Cory explains in IT News Africa how Nigeria's policies to protect its IT and e-commerce sectors are counterproductive.

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