Where is the next billion dollar idea going to come from? It just might
come from you says Nigerian Country Director at Google, Juliet Ehimuan in an interview with Journalists.
The opportunity in Africa is big . The current population of 1 . 2
billion people is projected to more than double by 2050 to 2 .5
billion. Over the same period, Nigeria would overtake the US as the
third most populous country in the world, after India and China.
Sub- Saharan Africa has the fastest growing labour force and
consumer group in the world. It has a young dynamic population
(70 % under the age of 30 ). The global share of African urban
residents is projected to grow from 11 . 3 % in 2010 to 20 .2 % by 2050.
This growing population is faced with similar challenges , and there
are opportunities to create solutions that impact the majority.
On the flip side of every problem is an opportunity for tomorrow ’ s
greatness . All you need to do is take a look around you. The region ’ s
gaps in food supply, transport , healthcare, financial inclusion , or
even ease of trade , all offer opportunities for innovation and
entrepreneurship. From farming to healthcare to logistics and
communication, solving very real problems with solutions powered
by technology is the billion dollar dream that will unleash the Africa
of the future .
So what would it take ?
It would take innovation , technology and a clear understanding of
Africa’ s needs . Harnessing the potential that Africa offers while
solving very real problems requires thinking differently about the
problems; thinking globally while acting locally .
The notion of “ The Next Billion Users ” is built on the premise that of
the 7 billion people that exist on the planet today , only about 3
billion are connected . There are still 4 billion people that do not
have access to the Internet and these people will come from
emerging markets like Africa . The needs and preferences of these
users are different from those in more mature markets. Realities
such as unreliable infrastructure (including power and broadband ),
high cost of data and smartphones etc . , impact user behaviour.
Understanding these factors and building products and solutions to
cater for these users with these factors in mind presents an immense
opportunity to scale and deliver immense value.
Design from the ground up : Some developers come up with a
solution and then try to imagine the problem it might solve . This
seldom works . The billion- dollar idea will come from understanding
local problems , meeting local needs , speaking the local language and
creating real value to people on the ground . Solve a problem and
you’re halfway there.
Design for rugged , rough and ready usage : The reality in this
environment is low bandwidth , unreliable connections, power
outages and a high percentage of phones with low storage capacity.
Cracking solutions for this audience means keeping it light and
rugged, ensuring your solution doesn’t break when there ’s a power
or connection drop . Google has been innovating specifically for this
region with these factors in mind and developed apps that can work
offline and require less bandwidth . Examples include Google Go ,
Maps Go , YouTube Go , Datally and Files by Google.
Design for mobile: Africa is a mobile- first and , in some cases, a
mobile- only region . There are over 350 million mobile phone users ,
and most people are having their internet experience entirely on
mobile. A solution geared toward the masses needs to be mobile .
Design with simplicity in mind : Keep it simple and easy to use.
Many of your users might not be tech - savvy but they are certainly
eager to have their problems solved . In a region where illiteracy is
still rampant , solutions that leverage voice assisted technologies
could be especially effective .
Iterate : Learn from mistakes , leverage networks and communities
of learning , and collaborate . Failures and challenges provide huge
opportunities for learning . Don ’t be put off by the setbacks. Most
successful apps today have gone through many iterations . Iterate
and move on . Get relevant, get better , get bigger .
The Next Billion Users will come from an explosion of technological
breakthrough in emerging markets and if you want to be a change
agent in this new playground , then you’re going to have to think
differently about how you impact the world.
Be inspired and spot the opportunity . Choose to be engaged ,
involved , and come up with a product or service that solves a real
problem and makes people’ s lives better.
Dare to think big . Create moon shots . Think globally and act locally .
There are great similarities in the challenges faced in communities
across Africa . A solution being developed for a particular
community has the potential to be applied to a larger user base . 10 X
that idea . Think about ways to apply it not just to your community
but to the country , and the region .
Take action. As we think about building solutions for the next billion
users, it is important to take small simple steps, incorporating the
above principles. It’ s about applying creativity and rigour to solving
real problems and creating value. The Next Billion Users shouldn ’t
just be consumers but change makers, shaping the trend and the
direction of the future .
The next billion- dollar idea is going to come from Africa and it just
might be you.
EmoticonEmoticon