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April 19th, 2024 | 4:17 AM ET

Revolutionary Growth

Posted: October 14th, 2015

By Laurent Elder

Laurent Elder manages the Information and Networks program at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Canadian federal Crown corporation that invests in knowledge, innovation, and technical solutions for the developing world.  From 1999-2004, Elder worked in Senegal at IDRC's office for West and Central Africa, where he led the Acacia Initiative, a research program exploring the impact of information and communication technologies in Africa.

The Cipher Brief spoke with Laurent Elder, leader of the Information and Networks program at the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC), about opportunities and challenges for Western businesses looking to enter the mobile technology industry in Africa.  Elder advises harnessing and scaling the already existing creativity and skills in Africa to other markets.

The Cipher Brief: How would you assess the growth of the mobile technology industry in Africa?  How has this contributed to economic development on the continent?

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