Four African countries just crushed the competition at a massive tech summit in Geneva. Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe beat out nations from around the world at the WSIS+20 High-Level Event. The annual gathering brings together more than 150 countries to talk about digital progress and innovation. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the World Summit on Information Society. The International Telecommunication Union and Switzerland hosted the prestigious event.
The winners walked away with coveted WSIS Prizes for their groundbreaking projects. Nigeria grabbed top honors for its Digital Awareness Programme run through the Nigerian Communications Commission. South Africa scored big with Digitech, a government program that helps local tech companies grow stronger. Zimbabwe earned recognition for Girls Speak Out, a project that teaches coding to girls in poor communities. Tanzania took home an award for creating digital health IDs that make medical care easier to access.
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin celebrated how these projects show technology can change lives when done right. The summit has watched internet users explode from one billion people to over 5.5 billion since 2005. Global digital cooperation has improved dramatically over the past two decades. The event runs until July 11 and will shape how countries work together on technology issues. Africa clearly plays a major role in the future of digital development worldwide.
The winners walked away with coveted WSIS Prizes for their groundbreaking projects. Nigeria grabbed top honors for its Digital Awareness Programme run through the Nigerian Communications Commission. South Africa scored big with Digitech, a government program that helps local tech companies grow stronger. Zimbabwe earned recognition for Girls Speak Out, a project that teaches coding to girls in poor communities. Tanzania took home an award for creating digital health IDs that make medical care easier to access.
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin celebrated how these projects show technology can change lives when done right. The summit has watched internet users explode from one billion people to over 5.5 billion since 2005. Global digital cooperation has improved dramatically over the past two decades. The event runs until July 11 and will shape how countries work together on technology issues. Africa clearly plays a major role in the future of digital development worldwide.
