4 African Nations Join Edison Alliance Initiative To Improve Digital Inclusion

The Edison Alliance said on Tuesday that four African nations have joined its Lighthouse Countries Network, which seeks to help governments achieve their digital inclusion goals.

The alliance, whose aim, according to its website, is “to connect 1 billion people by 2025 to essential services like healthcare, education and finance through digital platforms,” said that Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria had joined the network.

The scheme’s existing members are Bahrain, Bangladesh, Honduras, Rwanda, Togo and the UAE.

The alliance said in its Annual Impact Report — released during the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland — that since January last year its partners had used digital solutions to improve the lives of 784 million people in 127 countries through 320 initiatives.

“Access to digital services is crucial for reducing socioeconomic disparities,” said Sebastian Buckup, a member of the executive committee at the World Economic Forum.

“By democratising access to digital technology, we open doors to better education, economic opportunities and a more inclusive global economy.”