The African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced a strategic partnership with Mobile Accord for the processing of mobile-based surveys throughout Africa.The announcement made by Mthuli Ncube, Chief Economist of AfDB, comes in the wake of discussions on the need for better engagement of technology to support the bank’s initiatives around the continent which includes the “Youth Employment” and “Transforming Africa” projects.Addressing a meeting in Arusha, Tanzania, Ncube said; “through this partnership with Mobile Accord, we shall feel the real pulse of the youth and the development impact of AfDB because we would gather more accurate information in real time.”Mobile Accord’s service, GeoPoll, the polling platform that uses text messaging to collect substantial data from mobile subscribers, is the engine of this strategic partnership.A GeoPoll survey was recently used to get views from Tunisian youth on employment, entrepreneurship, and on the country’s progress since the Arab Spring and 62 percent of the respondents preferred to become entrepreneurs.“GeoPoll is changing the way information is collected, reducing the time it takes to gather information from months to a single day - and at a fraction of the traditional cost,” said Mobile Accord’s Founder and Chairman, James Eberhard, who pioneered GeoPoll.Mobile Accord is a mobile telecommunications platform services company, founded in 2005. It has operations on four continents, providing enterprise level solutions focused on driving positive social change through the mobile phone.Mobile Accord’s products and services empower 500+ international aid organizations, non-governmental organizations, non-profits, universities, charities, and governmental entities to change the world through mobile technology.Among its achievements, Mobile Accord has been responsible for watershed mobile phone donation campaigns in the US, raising more than $50 million for charitable organizations through its mGive platform, as well as mobile social networks connecting millions in developing countries.
