After decades of armed conflict and an authoritarian military government that has debilitated the nation, the Republic of the Sudan is finally in transition to become a democracy.
And in order to propel the country towards economic stability and growth, the Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Transformation has invited Bitcoin SV’s (BSV) Blockchain for Government Initiative for a week-long official visit that is centered on a two-day Blockchain Summit & Workshop held in Khartoum on April 8-9, 2021.
“In Sudan, we are in a transition period after thirty years of sanctions and thirty years of a bad regime. Now we are in a transition period in which we want to reform our country and reform the government.
Digital transformation is a key pillar in this reformation. We are working on building a national strategy for digital transformation that aims to change the government from manual to digital, to make sure that the government will be more efficient, more smart, more in control and more transparent,” HashimHasabelrasoulHashim, Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Transformation for the Republic of the Sudan, said in closing interview.
The visit is geared towards enabling the African nation to transition into the digital world and allowing local businesses to flourish through blockchain-based systems.
The initiative starts off by educating the Sudanese government and public sector on how blockchain technology can help them build more secure, transparent and cost-efficient data systems that are in line with the country’s transition to a democracy.
“I can clearly see a role for blockchain throughout different verticals within the government; digital identification is one of many, financial inclusion, digital certifications and many more to come, where we can benefit from blockchain.
We want to be the first and lead on this technology in the country because it will enable us to really depend on real data that is secure,” Hashim added.
The Blockchain for Government Initiative delegation is led by Jimmy Nguyen, the founding president of Bitcoin Association, a Switzerland-based non-profit organization that pushes for the global adoption of the Bitcoin SV blockchain.
Included in the delegation are CEOs and founders of businesses that have effectively built their platforms and applications on the Bitcoin SV blockchain.
These blockchain experts include UNISOT and Abendum CEO Stephan Nilsson of Norway, Domineum Blockchain Solutions co-founder Mohammed Ibrahim Jega of Nigeria, InvoiceMate Chief Mate Muhammad Salman Anjum representing the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, Bitcoin Association regional manager for Europe & Head of Operations Patrick Prinz of Switzerland, Transmira CEO Robert Rice, and Veridat Managing Partner Phillip Runyan, both from the United States.
In order to better educate the Sudanese on Bitcoin and blockchain development, a host of other experts from around the world joined remotely during the workshop.
“Blockchain can help us to build a better world and our trip to Sudan left us feeling even more inspired to make that vision a reality… As we explore opportunities for initial blockchain projects in Sudan, we know that BSV’s massive scaling and focus on data network capabilities can provide the blockchain power needed to advance digital transformation for Sudan and greater Africa,” Nguyen said.
On top of the two-day workshop, the BSV delegation also met separately with the Central Bank of Sudan, the Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Interior Affairs, leading telecommunications company SudaTel, and the 249 Startups hub for Sudanese entrepreneurs in order to provide consultation on blockchain development.