The day has finally come where developers from across the globe can build on its National Blockchain Network (NBN) through its sandbox.
- Zanzibar’s newest government agency, the eGovernment Authority (eGAZ), announced last month the upcoming launch of Africa’s first government-led blockchain ecosystem.
- The NBN is a permission-based blockchain sandbox running on the XDC Network and further powered by LedgerFi.
- It is designed to connect African governments, industries, and individuals for the purpose of fostering trust, collaboration, and innovation between stakeholders.
“We are incredibly excited to announce the official launch of the National Blockchain Network Sandbox as we aim to play a leading role in Africa’s technological revolution. Africa is known for ‘leapfrogging’ innovation taking place in other parts of the globe but now we are looking to the future. Instead of being a continent that’s always in a cycle of catching up with the rest of the world, we are looking to lead the rest of the world,” Said Seif Said, Director General of eGAZ, said in a conversation with The Kenyan Wall Street.
The sandbox is designed for experimental use cases without technological restrictions, enabling innovators to build everything from Artificial Intelligence (AI), Real World Assets (RWAs), Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), Metaverse, and much more. One of the key features of the NBN is its Smart Contracts framework, similar to that of the Ethereum ecosystem, the NBN infrastructure will automate and enforce agreements.
Zanzibar is currently at a crossroads – moving away from an economy vastly dependent upon tourism and refocusing on becoming a leading financial and technology ecosystem for Africa. eGAZ has mentioned that it looks to jurisdictions such as Singapore, the UAE, Ireland, and Taiwan who have become global hubs despite their size.
NBN in the Greater Scheme of Things
The launch of the sandbox is only the first step for the NBN. In the long-run, eGAZ plans to develop a Pan-African Commodities Exchange, facilitate transparency and trust between private and public sector services, and make government services accessible and efficient for anyone across the globe in line with Zanzibar’s 2023 – 2027 Digital Economy Roadmap.
The NBN is just one brick in the wall of the ‘Smart Zanzibar’ initiative, which will see the reworking of business registration, tax, immigration, and investor policies in the next few months.
NBN is not exclusive to Zanzibar; eGAZ has informed the public that before the end of 2025, it aims to onboard at least 25 different African governments into the ecosystem. By bringing together governments, the private sector, and individuals through NBN, Zanzibar is actively working to solve many of the fundamental challenges that have historically held back African countries from realizing their full potential.
How to get involved in NBN?
- Visit the National Blockchain Network’s website: www.nbn.africa
- Apply to join the network.
- LedgerFi team will schedule an onboarding meeting with applicants.
- Applicants will be onboarded and can begin using and innovating in the sandbox.
eGAZ and LedgerFi have informed The Kenyan Wall Street that before the conclusion of the month, they will be launching a digital training program to teach stakeholders about the NBN and its nearly-unlimited range of capabilities.
The launch of the National Blockchain Network Sandbox comes ahead of the first-ever ZanBlock Paradise Festival, a global blockchain summit planned to take place in Zanzibar in Q1 2025.
