I recently got a copy of the joint IFC and World Resources Institute report The Next 4 Billion. I am asking my friends in the technology sector to look carefully at the issues raised by this report: specifically, how to accelerate living standards, productivity and quality of life for the world's poorest using private sector resources and market-based mechanisms. Thinking in the developed world has changed radically in only a few decades: there is a genuine consensus that developing markets aren't there to be exploited, but to be developed into first-class market economies. Many (most?) of my friends are from emerging market countries, so I am confident this will be of interest to many of you.
I am convinced that business models are not yet there, but that that they are waiting to be unlocked by creative and innovative individuals. Since the problems with business oriented models aimed at developing markets is often one of scale, a big part of the solution is likely to be technology based. This is about developing a better future for humankind. Please give it some thought.
2 comments:
Hello Greg. This is very interesting stuff because I found you through Dawn at Adventura who spoke recently at Wharton Global Alumni Forum in Cape Town, South Africa and is working on agricultural projects in Senegal. The Next 4 Billion at the BOP has been extremely engaging for me and I am seriously driving cooperation between India where I outsource my Technology tasks and Nigeria my country which I believe is one of the worlds potentially richest nations. Greg, Nigeria has got it all. Except Management. Kindly visit my blog http://www.rsagroup.net/indogeria where I am encouraging Indo Nigerian cooperation because as we both know both countries are in the Next 4 Billion. Thanks Greg and I look forward to working with you and Dawn in Africa and India. Best Regards.
Barney, thanks for contacting me. I am going to try to read through your blog this week: it looks very interesting.
I agree with you that Nigeria has great potential. Some of my good friends from Wharton are Nigerian and managed to get me fired up about business opportunities there, so I look forward to learning from your experiences.
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