LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 SERIES – AFRICA, KIGALI: Africa’s data revolution has come of age, with information collated holding the potential to improve lives and livelihoods, an African Union Commission (AUC) expert explained.

In a keynote, Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for infrastructure and energy (pictured), told delegates timely, accessible, accurate and good quality data was already being used in some countries for a range initiatives. These include: health applications; agriculture planning; improved security; and other factors to eradicate poverty.

As well as highlighting the potential of data, Abou-Zeid praised achievements already made in the mobile money sector on empowering women in Africa.

“Mobile technology was instrumental in the empowerment of women in the form of mobile money,” she noted. “People only see the financial aspect of transactions, they don’t see the empowerment. Remember, working women before were delivered their income through the name of the address of the house and that – mainly – was the man’s name.”

Although complimentary on the progress made by the industry and authorities, she added there was still work to do, including the increase in use of local back-end infrastructure rather than using overseas providers.

“While the internet has magnified the ability to exchange information, leading to a proliferation of data, Africa continues to pay overseas carriers to exchange intracontinental internet data traffic on our behalf. This is both costly and inefficient,” she said, adding the AUC had encouraged exchange points to be built in member states and supported existing facilities to expand.