Blockchain Nigeria User Group: 2019 in Retrospect.
Blockchain Nigeria User Group, Africa's most active, most visible and most value-adding community of blockchain developers, investors, entrepreneurs, crypto traders, and enthusiasts, clearly surpassed the goals set for itself in 2019, now looking forward to 2020 with huge expectations and further development for the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry in Nigeria.
Even though the year started slowly with great uncertainty in the ecosystem regarding regulations, it did not take long before various industry activities began to gain traction.
The truth is that we are now well-positioned to achieve our objectives which is to create a pro-innovation environment for the industry. The one that meets the growing global demand for accessible, transparent and democratic financial systems. All through 2019, we fostered collaboration between the blockchain and crypto communities with regulatory agencies in Nigeria and beyond.
We looked at blockchain talent problems and we decided to start doing something about it. We will remain at the forefront of Advocacy and awareness creation taking up the responsibility of grooming the skills needed to make this tech a reality in Nigeria and Africa.
Here are some of our major milestones in 2019
Monthly Unchained Blockchain Meetups were held across Nigeria in the following locations.
- RadikalHub Surulere, Lagos Mainland
- Jelurida Africa, Lekki Lagos Island.
- Africa Fintech Foundry, Victoria Island, Lagos.
- WeNovation Hub, Abuja.
Thanks to Emeka Ezike from Huobi for the partnership.
- e-Wealth Atlantic Blockchain Center Port Harcourt.
We launched the #BlockchainDev1000 Initiative.
The #BlockchainDev1000 initiative powered by Blockchain Nigeria User Group is aimed at providing participants with the foundational knowledge of blockchain decentralized application development and multi-platform exposures for building smart contracts.
In the first 2 months of flagging off the program, over 400 participants signed. Today, we have over 550 participants across Nigeria on our learning platform.
Candidates are first pre-qualified as possessing basic software development skills of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript before proceeding to learn Blockchain development.
The Program’s focus.
- IBM Hyperledger Fabric platform.
Exploring distributed ledger technologies and understanding their impact and potentials.
- Ethereum & Solidity Development
Ethereum Smart Contract development and other methods of developing DApps on the Ethereum Blockchain.
- Waves Blockchain & RIDE Development
Everything developers need to write Smart Contracts and build DApps on the Waves blockchain platform.
- ViteLab Blockchain Platform
Utilizing Vite’s High-Performance Decentralized Blockchain Platform for robust application development.
Others…Coming soon!
- Tezos Blockchain Platform
- Quras Privacy Blockchain Platform
Collaborations with Government Agencies and Regulators
Blockchain Nigeria User Group fully participated and made presentations at the SEC Nigeria Capacity Building Program with CCAF UK, EFIna Group, and FSD Africa, held in Abuja Nigeria.
NITDA Blockchain Workshop
NDIC Capacity Building Workshop in Lagos.
Nigeria’s blockchain community was adequately represented by BNUG in the Fintech Roadmap Committee of the Nigeria Capital Market constituted by SEC Nigeria chaired by Ade Bajomo an Executive Director at Access Bank PLC. The committee report has been accepted by the Capital Market Committee and gazetted on SEC Nigeria’s Website.
Discussions about Blockchain and Crypto regulations has always been a subject of concern and a big nightmare to regulators. Most times, they are done in silos. In 2019 the blockchain community in Nigeria, led by BNUG engaged the SEC Nigeria top management and board members in an interactive session that helped to demystify regulatory misconceptions. For once, we all agreed that there is a need for regulation, but not the type that could stifle innovation.
SEC Nigeria in 2019 constituted a Blockchain and Virtual Financial Assets Framework and Regulations Working Group, chaired by Francis Chuka Agbu (SAN), with the mandate, among several others, to develop a framework to support innovation and regulation within the blockchain and virtual financial assets’ space that takes into cognizance effective investor protection, financial market integrity, and financial stability.
Conferences
- Lagos Blockchain & Digital Assets Conference 2019 had over 700 attendees at the physical venue of the event in Lagos. The event was under the Chairmanship of Dr. Segun Aina Ph.D., President of Fintech Association of Nigeria, and Keynoted by Dr. Andrew S. Nevin, PhD, Chief Economist at PWC.
- BBC London UK covered this conference!
View more pictures of the Lagos conference.
Abuja Blockchain Conference Sponsors and Partners.
- Abuja Blockchain & Digital Assets Conference. Thanks to David Adegoke of Zilla, and Kayode Adewale of Sirfitech, BNUG Abuja coordinators for their role in the success of the conference.
The Abuja event was Keynoted by Prof. Kingsley Moghalu with the DG NITDA, Inuwa Kashifu Abdullahi as the Special Guest of Honour. Over 700 participants were recorded in the two-day event.
View more pictures of the Abuja conference.
Abuja Blockchain Conference Sponsors and Partners.
The Future of Money Conference Port Harcourt, hosted by e-Wealth Atlantic CEO and a co-founder at Blockchain Nigeria User Group, Surv Faith Titus.
The Organization of Blockchain Technology Users (OBTU)
Earlier in the year, the need for a properly registered organization that will cater to the needs of the evolving ecosystem and the army of followers of BNUG led to the incorporation of the Organization of Blockchain Technology Users, OBTU for short.
Blockchain for Good Hackathons
Damilola Owonibi the Blockchain Kid Genius!
Nine-year-old Damilola Owonibi built a blockchain voting Dapp for Nigeria election at the Blockchain4Good hackathon, a side event at the Abuja conference. He became the first and youngest blockchain developer on the African continent.
International Collaborations
GovChain.World
BNUG assisted GovChain, a UK based organization to research, report and paint the accurate picture of the state of implementation and regulatory treatment of blockchain by the public sectors around the world. Nigeria was captured as one of the countries in Africa already Adopting Blockchain technology. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) supply chain settlement project built on the blockchain and SEC Nigeria’s Regulatory initiatives were instrumental for that designation.
University of Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance
Since 2018, BNUG has been assisting the University of Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance in the proper classification of Blockchain Projects coming out of Africa.
Organizational Memberships
- Fintech Association of Nigeria
- ISSAN (Information Security Society of Africa, Nigeria)
- Government Blockchain Association (GBA)
- GenesisBlock Africa
Social Media Impact
- BNUG Android NewsApp
The app is a simple news app that delivers blockchain, Crypto and technology news directly to users android phones. Download it now!
- Our interactive, educational, community engagement, value-adding Telegram Group, is changing the face of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency communities across Africa. It is being administered and overseen by Adebayo Adelekan aka @cryptobayo.
Crypto-Trading Tips, blockchain developer resources, and power-parked AMA sessions are constantly held on the channel.
The group currently has over 1200 active members organically grown within 5 months of its setup.
Our twitter handle has over 2500 followers.
Our FileDepot is a repository of very important self-learning materials for the community. Users are able to download or share resources in virtually every subject matter, especially research papers on the emerging technologies of Blockchain, Virtual Financial Assets, and other technologies of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR)
About Blockchain Nigeria User Group
Formed in November 2016, BLOCKCHAIN NIGERIA USER GROUP is a vibrant group of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency developers, enthusiasts, and investors helping to drive adoption and awareness of the Blockchain industry in Nigeria and across Africa.
Our Objectives are;
(1) To create a pro-innovation environment for the blockchain and Cryptocurrency industry.
(2) To foster collaboration between the community and industry leaders and regulators.
(3) To educate policymakers and the public on the benefits of blockchain and related technologies.
(4) To strive to promote and sustain community development initiatives that enhance consumer safety and industry competitiveness, thereby fostering healthy relationships between the blockchain ecosystem and regulatory agencies.
(5) To grow and develop blockchain and fourth industrial revolution skills and talents through strategic partnerships with globally exposed Blockchain Training companies.
(6) To work with all levels of relevant government agencies and other stakeholders to support employment growth and career opportunities in the blockchain technology industry
We will also strive to continue the advocacy for Blockchain Technology adoption in Nigeria through our conferences, workshops, and seminars. Thus promoting and protecting the interests of all our members.
Blockchain Nigeria User Group is a sub-set of Organization of Blockchain Technology Users (OBTU), http://blockchainusers.org, a duly incorporated Trust with CAC, and an association desiring Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) status for the Blockchain Industry in Nigeria and across Africa.
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Website: https://blockchainnigeria.group/
