BSV and blockchain adoption continues to face several challenges in Nigeria, but this will be addressed through better education, says Mohamed Ibrahim Jega, co-founder of Domineum and organiser of the Domineum Blockchain Developers Summit held in Abuja at the end of July.
Speaking in a recent interview with CryptoTVplus, Jega said Domineum primarily deals with government and enterprise operations including issues relating to supply chain development and the redistribution of land.
‘There is a lot of resistance (around blockchain adoption) as most people don’t want to adapt to these new innovations,’ he said. ‘They see blockchain as a big fight, something that is going to come in and disrupt and also make a lot of people lose their jobs.’
Jega said that the role of Domineum is educating governments and businesses that this will not be the case and that they will actually improve operations by adopting the BSV blockchain. He added that blockchain is an inherently transparent system, which will allow greater trust between governments and their citizens.
Education around blockchain use cases
Jega said education around blockchain expands past just basic technical explanations and needs to include actual use cases for the technology.
‘Blockchain is secure, it is unaltered and reliable. Most importantly we have to look at educating people about buying and utilising the correct blockchain services. Most of them are running their services on analogue, so we need to digitise them and move them onto the blockchain.’
Jega said that Domineum is now working with both the government and academic institutions in Nigeria to encourage students to learn more about blockchain technology. He highlighted an ongoing partnership with Baze University in Nigeria where students now have a blockchain-focus incorporated directly into their curriculum.
Expanding the BSV blockchain in Africa
Jega noted that he is also an Ambassador for BSV in Africa, which includes a role in promoting the protocol in the region.
‘We are trying to see how we can propagate the BSV agenda, and create more awareness in Africa for businesses, developers and the government. In this way, we can help them understand the opportunities and the different businesses that are available when building on BSV.’
Jega noted that BSV offers unbounded on-chain scaling, lightning-fast transaction times, low fees and micropayment capabilities. He also highlighted other benefits such as smart contracts, tokenization, and BSV’s low environmental costs.
‘Domineum and BSV’s visions align as we are all about promoting and supporting governments and seeing how they can optimise their services. So the journey has only just begun. We are trying to see how we can activate the ecosystem and educate young people about the opportunities in the BSV ecosystem.’
Nigeria’s government sees the BSV blockchain as a key tool for creating jobs and improving education opportunities across the country. It is currently in the process of commissioning new AI and Blockchain training labs which are aimed at helping the people of Nigeria develop their skills in these emerging fields, with the ultimate goal of training one million new developers.
Domineum Blockchain Developers Summit and upcoming Blockchain Day
Jega also spoke on the importance of the Domineum Blockchain Developers Summit – the largest summit of its kind in the region.
He noted that these events are important for visibility reasons and for giving BSV a platform to reach out to more people and educate them about the power of building on the blockchain.
Domineum’s first-ever Blockchain Developers Summit was a huge success, attracting over a thousand attendees and shining a light on how blockchain can solve some of Nigeria’s and Africa’s challenges. The two-day event saw leading minds in the blockchain and tech space take to the stage, innovative startups pitch their ideas, and BSV take the spotlight.
Domineum now plans to hold a Blockchain Day during the upcoming Digital Nigeria National Conference and Exhibition.
The three-day conference and exhibition, which will be held at the Abuja International Conference Centre, is the largest of its kind in Nigeria and will include a mix of experts, investors, government officials, and dignitaries. Some 2,000 attendees are expected to attend the event physically with an additional 5,000 attendees expected virtually.
As part of the wider conference, the BSV Blockchain Association will be partnering with Domineum Blockchain Solutions and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to host its own Blockchain Day aimed at attracting, educating, and creating more awareness in the blockchain ecosystem.
Presentations will focus on scaling the blockchain ecosystem, with opportunities and best use cases from Africa and around the globe. Special focus will be given to Nigeria, a country blessed with talented people and over 200 million potential smart technology experts.
You can find out more about Blockchain Day and sign up for the event here.