Today, tech giant Microsoft and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, parent company of pan-African banking group Ecobank signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to complement the African government’s efforts to modernize the standards of Africa’s major cities through state of the art digital solutions.
The collaboration arose from increasing pressure on African cities due to urbanization and the need to ensure a healthier and safer environment.
The first sectors that will be the target of this partnership will include the education sector, land registration and fee collection in the municipal and hospital services, tax collection from market vendors and small shops, vehicle and driving licensing, as well as eVisa and ePassport fee collections.
The agreement also supports the implementation of a comprehensive sills and a digital literacy program.
“At Microsoft, our aim is to help societies digitally transform, from the single consumer to entire government departments,” said Amr Kamel, General Manager, Microsoft. “Any nation properly supported by technology can transform into an intelligent ecosystem, capable of engaging with its citizens, empowering employees and optimizing operations to vastly improve lives.”
Microsoft and Ecobank will collaborate in sharing the best practice and technical guidance to government workers or citizens who will be using the applications regularly.
Ecobank Group CEO Ade Ayeyemi said: “Microsoft is a globally recognised brand. We are delighted to partner with Microsoft to move faster on our digital transformation strategy- the main focus of which is to increase financial inclusion in Africa.”
