How the World Bank digitally empowers the young in developing nations

“Investment for entrepreneurs has created new sources of growth that nobody would have envisaged ten years later: new jobs and a really positive vibe around technology and entrepreneurship, which is a message young people need to hear to start their own businesses and become digital entrepreneurs.”

– Samia Melhem, World Bank

This episode of Digital Workplace Impact takes us on a tour of the globe and explores how technology is enabling developing nations to kickstart their economies and inspire their younger generations, mainly through the humble cell phone. Paul Miller speaks with Samia Melhem, Global Digital Development Lead at the World Bank’s Transport and ICT Practice, who has managed many such projects to completion.

With a dramatic rise in entrepreneurial spirit among the young, as well as the speed of response that comes with social media, governments need to digitally modernize from within in order to inspire and cater for the needs of their fledgling citizens. Samia shares an inspiring case study on “Digital Burkina”, a project that has improved the livelihoods of the rural community and Burkina Faso as a whole, by connecting farmers with geographical information that allows them to make more informed decisions to improve their farming approach.

Paul and Samia discuss what is needed to drive these projects forward to a successful completion; how the word is spreading across continents such as Africa; and why ICT (information communication technology) has been key to the breakthrough in so many developing countries.