The African Development Bank (AfDB) announced a partnership with Mobile Accord to process mobile-based surveys in Africa, said its chief economist Mthuli Ncube at its annual meeting.

“Through this partnership with mobile telecommunications company Mobile Accord, we are able to feel the real pulse of the youth and the development impact of AfDB because we can gather more accurate information in real time,” he said.

The announcement came in the wake of discussions at the AfDB for better engagement of technology to support the bank’s many initiatives on the continent, including its Youth Employ- ment and Transforming Africa projects, he said.

Mobile Accord’s service, GeoPoll, the polling platform that uses text messag- ing to collect substantial data from mobile subscribers, is the engine of this partnership.

A GeoPoll survey was used to ask Tunisian youth about their views on employment, entrepreneurship and the country’s progress since the Arab Spring. Among the most interesting results was one that indicated 62% of Tunisian youth would like to be entre- preneurs, highlighted Ncube.

The AfDB’s intention is to continue polling across the African continent with GeoPoll. For the first time, the project will be the first to let the concerns, hopes and aspirations of African youth be heard on such a large scale, he noted.

“We are excited about collaborating with the AfDB. Through this partnership, GeoPoll will enable the voices of Africa to be shared with the world,” said Mobile Accord founder, chairperson and GeoPoll pioneer James Eberhard.

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