Sunday, October 7, 2018

India's Aadhaar Could Unlock Economic Growth in Africa - Bloomberg

India's Aadhaar Could Unlock Economic Growth in Africa - Bloomberg



Over the last two decades, China has invested more than $125 billion in Africa to build ports, highways, airports, railways and other infrastructure. Chinese President Xi Jinping says funds, to the tune of $60 billion, will continue to flow because "inadequate infrastructure is believed to be the biggest bottleneck to Africa's development."
China’s largesse has certainly benefited the continent. An Indian innovation, however, could be what African countries really need.
India’s Aadhaar biometric identification system has given hundreds of millions of citizens a portable digital ID, allowing them to receive government services, join the banking system and otherwise partake in the formal economy. 
...The Aadhaar system creates a 12-digit unique identification number for each citizen, issued on the basis of biometric and demographic data. Data is stored centrally and enrollment is free, simple and document-light.

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