Mapping Africa: Akoin & UNL
What our partnership with UNL means for Africa
April 03, 2019 — 2 minute read
If you live in a first-world country, there are some basic benefits you gain from your countries infrastructure that you probably don’t think about very often. Having an address, for example. There are 4 billion people around the world who have no physical address in their neighborhoods or towns.
If you don’t have an address, how do you call 911 when there is an emergency? Where do you tell an ambulance to go when you need medical assistance? Even on a lighter note, how are you supposed to get your Amazon packages when you don’t have a street to send them too?
Addressing the Unaddressed
Akoin and UNL are joining forces to digitally map Africa and provide addresses for those living in unaddressed rural areas.
UNL is a universal addressing and naming platform that gives anyone and anywhere a unique, universal address. Made to connect the unconnected and unlock the economic potential of locations. — UNL
Around 75% of the world is poorly addressed, meaning homes and businesses don’t have unique addresses to help facilitate the delivery of physical information, goods, and services.
This leaves areas under-served by digital and location-based services. Not only does this close off individuals from accessing services that may enrich their lives, but it also limits the potential reach of businesses hoping to serve these individuals.
UNL & the Akoin Marketplace
UNL is integrating into the center of the Akoin platform and marketplace to create widespread economic impact by unlocking new geographies for location-based services.
It incentivizes users to submit geographical data with Akoin tokens and helps them build out the digital infrastructure needed to bring Africa into the future. Additionally, as new geographic information is created and addresses are generated, the DApps/ Apps in the marketplace gain access to more and more potential customers.
For example, if an eCommerce company launches in the marketplace, it will be able to deliver products to a constantly increasing customer base as UNL expands the nation’s digital infrastructure. By utilizing UNL, Akoin will open its reach to consumers who were previously unable to participate in the digital economy, creating unparalleled opportunities for this demographic.
Addresses are one of the cheapest ways to lift people out of poverty, aiding access to credit, voting rights, and worldwide markets. Through this partnership, we hope to create a socio-economic impact that will help build the digital infrastructure necessary for Africa to thrive in today's global economy.
