United Kingdom unveils £ 37.3 million tech fund for developing countries
UNITED Kingdom’s Development and Africa Minister, Andrew Mitchell, has said that new UK funding for innovative mobile phone technology will help change lives in developing countries around the world.
He said harnessing AI technology to provide real- time agricultural advice to farmers in Nigeria and pay - as- you- go solar- powered fridges are just some of the ways UK- funded mobile technology is improving livelihoods globally. and focuses on women and Speaking at the just concludgirls, climate change mitigaed Mobile World Congress, tion, adaptation and resilience Mitchell announced the UK is and scaling up innovative soluproviding £ 37.3 million of new tions. support for the Mo bile for Mitchell said: “Mobile techDevelopment Programme, to nology has the potential to help more people access revolutionise the lives of the mobile and di gital technolo - poor by helping tackle the gies to find new opportunities effects of climate change, creatand boost their livelihoods. ing jobs and boosting opportuThe programme, which the nities for women.
UK funds in partnership with “The Mobile for Development UK- based mobile industry assoprogramme has already beneciation, GSMA and the private fited more than 100 million sector, h as already benefited people, and the UK'S new more than 94 million people announcement aims to up the ambition, reaching 110 million additional people, including 60 million women.
"Together the worlds of development and mobile tech giants can be a powerful force to unlock opportunities and prosperity, and meet the UN Global Goals."
Before this time, UK funding has helped scale up a digital hub in Pakistan, Bakhabar Kissan ( BKK), which provides accurate weather forecasting data to farmers to help them make critical farming decisions such as the timing of seed sowing, irrigation, and fertilisation. With the help of this programme, BKK has almost doubled users from 6.6 million to 12.4 million.
Another innovative business, Ensibuuko, is providing digital skills training to help community- saving groups in rural Uganda keep up with the latest digital products and services where previously they relied on paper record- keeping. Since gaining funding, Ensibuuko has benefited over 236,000 members of rural savings groups, 60 per cent of whom are women, providing them with digital skills training.
President of the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation, John Giusti, said: "For more than a decade, the FCDO and the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation have worked closely in partnership to drive socio- economic and climate impact for the most underserved populations through digital innovation, and to date our partnership has improved the lives of more than 127 million people.