EIFAY Africa

In recent times, the COVID-19 crisis has profoundly affected societies around the world, plunging the global economy into a deep recession.

With the majority of artisan businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic, the real sectors that mainstream many micro-/small businesses have been mostly affected. Real sectors such as agriculture, art and craft and mining are largely ceased, impacting surrounding communities both socially and economically, and plunging local artisans in the sectors into a state of extreme economic and social fragility hence exacerbating economic poverty of the vulnerable group. 

The Digital Artisan Marketplace (DAM) is an innovative solution to facilitate digital marketing opportunities, services and products of the local artisans/micro entrepreneurs. This solution will impact positively in the lives of artisans and Malians in Africa through access to digital economic opportunities, thereby increasing their income and employment opportunities, reducing poverty, increasing sales of locally-made products and services via online etc.

The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the world into the worst recession since World War II. In 2020, the global economy shrank by 4.3% – over two and half times more than during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

Lockdowns and other preventive measures that governments have put in place to curb the spread of the virus have disrupted economic activity in ways for which societies were largely unprepared.

African e-commerce platform Jumia reported a 50% jump in transactions during the first six months of 2020.

Businesses and consumers that were able to “go digital” have helped mitigate the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. But they have also sped up a digital transition that will have lasting impacts on our societies and daily lives – for which not everyone is prepared.

The pandemic has benefited the world’s leading digital platforms more than others. 

Meanwhile, in many of the world’s poorest economies, consumers and businesses aren’t able to capitalize on the new e-commerce opportunities due to persistent bottlenecks and barriers, such as costly broadband services, financial exclusion and overreliance on cash, a lack of digital skills among the population and government inattention.

We are creating an e-commerce platform that enables local artisans and small businesses operating in agribusiness, art and craft and mining sectors to produce and sell their locally-made products globally.

 The project will determine and implement specialized, high-value technology based activities that will promote and market locally-made products from local artisans and micro-businesses.

With an improved mobile internet penetration-especially in developing countries, logistics networks, digital payments, culture and tourism readiness, e-commerce familiarity and urbanization this solution will be enabled to achieve the needed benefits for the local artisans and small businesses in agriculture, art and craft and mining sectors.

The solutions we are providing includes an e-commerce strategy for artisans, ICT infrastructure, payment solutions, intra- or inter trade logistics and facilitation, skills development and financing schemes for MSMEs.

The primary target beneficiaries for this solution are small businesses and local artisans specializing in agriculture/food industry, arts and crafts, and mining sectors.

 Earlier this year, my organization with support from Facility for Oil Sector Transformation (FOSTER) started an engagement with the artisan community in Nigeria under the project tagged #ArtisanVoices. Part of the activities held was capacity building workshops for the artisans to understand the impact of management of oil and gas sector in their businesses. Also we organized video documentary profiling the voices of the artisans on topical issues. It was this engagement that inspired my organization to investigate more about artisan economy and come up with this project- The Digital Artisan Marketplace (DAM) project. This project has been a participatory project as we elicited inputs and contributions of the beneficiary community right from inception. The platform will benefit artisans in various ways such as improving sales of locally-made goods by the artisans and small businesses; generating more jobs, employment and income opportunities for artisans and the sector; reduce poverty and hardship experienced due to effect of COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, increased global spending on agriculture, art and craft and mining sectors, and of course help to promote sustainable economic development for the poor etc.

The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the artisan community thereby causing financial distress and poverty especially in developing countries. Innovative technology such as e-commerce solution is a greatest tool used in enabling small and new businesses- especially the unreached and resilient communities (artisans and small businesses) to prosper and create good jobs through acquisition of digital skills and access to capital, networks, markets and technology. Our solution is an integrated technology system that promotes e-commerce, and innovative financing for local artisans and small businesses in real sectors in promoting digital inclusion and sustainable economic development.

Our organization believes in participatory approach to development. The inclusion of the beneficiary community even at the beginning of the project cycle (design and piloting stage) is the surest way to achieve project sustainability. We are presenting developing this innovation and consulting with the artisans and small businesses- who are our target beneficiaries for this project. Although, our engagement with the artisans and small business communities started in January, 2020, also on Friday February 26th this year, our organization had a focus group meeting with Artisans and small business community in Enugu, Nigeria to discuss about the project and elicit inputs from the target beneficiaries. The inputs and opinions from the participants of the Focus Group Meeting have been fed into the project design.

The innovation in this solution is demonstrated through the following: 

 Our proposed solution provides improved approach to addressing the challenges of digital inclusion of the artisans and small businesses as means of promoting active participation of the last mile in the digital economy through the deployment of e-commerce services, financial technological services and inclusion, and digital skills development for the artisans and small businesses.

At the pilot stage, the project is going to directly impact 10,000 beneficiaries. It is expected that at least 1 million artisans and small businesses operating in agriculture/food, arts and culture and mining sectors will directly benefit from this innovation in the next 5 years.

The solution is currently not serving the beneficiaries because we are still prototyping our solution.

In one year, we plan to serve at least 10,000 artisans and small businesses

In 5 years, we plan to serve at least 1 million artisans and small businesses

The progress of this project will be measured using the following indicators:

1. How many artisans and small businesses have been mainstreamed into the e-commerce platform

2. How many artisans and small business owners have acquired digital skills in relevant areas

3. How many artisans and small businesses have access credits and loans for their businesses through the digital marketplace for the artisans and small businesses platform

4. How many strategic partnerships have been developed for the digital market place for the artisans and small businesses. 

Full-time staff = 5

Part-time staff = 4

Volunteers = 25

This solution was just birthed in February, 2021. We are a less than 6 months innovation. However, our non-profit organization has been in existence since 2012

Our project team is made up of mixed number of seasoned professionals and experts in project management, programming, strategic marketing, logistics management, innovation development, fundraising and monitoring and evaluation and social development.

Project Staff and their portfolios 

1. Emmanuel Acha- Executive Director/Project lead

2. Azuka Nwofor- Senior Program Officer

3. Livinus Aniekwe- Partnerships Coordinator

4. Obiajulu Nebo- Fundraising and Grants Coordinator 

5. Iheanyi Igboko- Advocacy and Strategy Officer

6. Chinenye Okpali- M&E Officer

We strongly believe that joining Solver can help us to achieve the following objectives:

1. Overcome financial barriers by receiving access to over $2 million in prize funding for the 2021 Challenge. This will help us to secure sufficient funding to implement our solution.  

2. Overcome technical challenges by receiving mentorship and strategic advice from Solve and MIT network of experts and helping me to attend Solve at MIT.

3. Overcome opportunities, connection and networking barriers by helping me to join a supportive community of peers, funders and experts to help advance our innovative work through Solve's nine-month program.

I need strong partnership to build skills and capacity in business model, solution technology, product/service distribution, understanding legal or regulatory matters, marketing, media and exposure.

Also, I need to build relevant connections and partnerships that will help me to generate needed funds for this innovative solution. This is why partnership in the funding and revenue model is very germane to achieve success in the project.

I would like to partner with strategic organizations that will help me to achieve my project goal and objectives. Such organization that:

1. Facilitate access to funding for social enterprise project like ours

2. MIT faculty or initiatives on social entrepreneurship development education

3. MIT faculty or initiatives on e-commerce development and logistics management courses

4. Organizations, MIT faculty or initiatives on the role of artisan economy on agriculture, arts and crafts and mining sectors

Yes we wish to apply for the GSR Prize to advance the use of an innovative and sustainable approach to tackling the most pressing issues of local artisan/small business communities using cryptocurrency trading and other sustainable financial services mechanisms to alleviate poverty, and contribute to a sustainable world, with an emphasis on blockchain or innovative technology-powered solutions. The Digital Marketplace for Artisans project will surely contribute to the achievement of GSR goal and strategic objectives of promoting digital inclusion for sustainable economic development.