Innovative Tech
We want to work in the world of tomorrow today. By working with some of the best experts and organizations in the world such as the PeaceTech Lab, the GeoAnalytics Center aims to bring some of the most innovative technologies to the Sahel.
Technologies such as geomapping, satellite imagery or advance Fake-News detection tools can have a high impact on some of the most pressing problems in the region if used with on-the-ground context knowledge. For example, the GeoA believes in developing locally tailored communications system that collect citizens’ feedback on quality, timeliness and adequacy of public service delivery, thus facilitating the lodging of citizen complaints and transparent tracking of government responses.
Gender and Tech
The Digital Gender Divide—the gap to technological access between men and women—is particularly important in the Sahel. In Niger for example, only 19% of Facebook accounts belong to women. In a world where technology is increasingly impacting every component of development, from health and education to governance and human rights, women will soon see themselves confronted with a double gap: their already limited access to essential services will be further impeded by technological illiteracy. GeoA is set to overcome this challenge by training women leaders in technology and mentoring them as they progress.
Geopolitical analysis
Our in-depth analysis of the Sahel region extends to political, economic and military matters. By combining open-source intelligence with strong local research, we produce analysis and forecasts that are comprehensive, judicious and innovative. We combine our in-country knowledge with social media and data analysis tools provided by our partner, PeaceTech Lab.
Headquartered in Niamey, we travel throughout the Sahel to gather our analysis as well as to build relations. This includes operating according to local custom and interviewing key players in their native language.
Tech for capacity building
By providing training, resources and mentoring on a wide range of tools, GeoA supports local organisations, both from the civil society and the government, to (i) increase their productivity and (ii) augment their impact on the ground.
Situated in the premises of the local NGO RAIL, GeoA’s TechHouse provides a physical space for local organizations to network, discuss ideas and familiarize themselves with technological solutions. We provide “burst trainings”, intense two-hours sessions led by local trainers where participants develop highly useful and specific tech-skills ranging from podcasting, M&E tools and Facebook analytics.
