Many African countries are grappling with escalating social issues that continue to worsen, including rapid population growth, urbanisation pressures, deteriorating educational and healthcare infrastructures, rising insecurity, malnutrition, poverty, the plight of refugees and displaced persons, and widespread unemployment and underemployment.

However, the challenges facing many African countries also present opportunities, particularly if governments can leverage and harness the potential of open-source technologies for positive development and the social welfare of their citizens. At the heart of open-source projects lies a culture that promotes open exchange, collaborative participation, rapid prototyping, transparency, meritocracy, and community-driven development. If properly maximised, these are all essential ingredients for sustainable development.

Today, the most innovative countries in social welfare and development are those whose governments actively invest in and adopt open-source technologies. France is a notable example. The French government has implemented a “Free Software Policy,” which mandates that public agencies prioritise open-source software over proprietary options.

This policy has been applied across various public sectors, including education, healthcare, and governance. Similarly, the UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS) has embraced open-source software to build efficient digital services. The UK government has also encouraged its public sector to adopt open standards and use open-source tools for applications like the data.gov.uk portal.

In France and the UK, integrating open-source technologies into administrative systems has reduced software licensing costs, encouraged local tech companies to innovate, and improved transparency and data privacy in the public sector. These policies have also led to better service delivery, reduced costs, and increased flexibility in managing IT infrastructure. Suppose African countries are to address the complexities of their social issues. In that case, governments must embrace open-source technology, which impacts all areas of life—science, education, governance, healthcare, and organisational management.

Top international organisations, such as UNICEF, are at the forefront of addressing social challenges and advocate for an open-source approach to developing equitable and effective digital solutions. Over the past few years, UNICEF has actively promoted open-source solutions through various initiatives, including enabling knowledge sharing, partnering with vendors to develop new products, collaborating with partners in the open-source community, and providing financial support through its Innovation Fund.

Open-source technology is increasingly being leveraged for advancements globally, and there are compelling reasons why governments should explore its benefits:

Modernising Administrative Systems
A common challenge for governments worldwide is modernising their online services to improve citizens’ experiences, often with limited resources and outdated IT systems. Open source can provide a transparent platform for governments to engage in two-way communication with citizens, ensuring that services meet their needs. Setting up collaboration forums and using tools to create shared learning and experiences is key to successful government digitisation projects. The open-source community offers a valuable pool of tech skills and can help government agencies innovate quickly despite ongoing tech talent shortages.

Promoting Equal Opportunities
It is well-known that only some have equal access to technology and information. Open source is a step toward achieving social justice by providing free access to technology. This helps narrow the gap in social inequalities regarding technology, offering equal opportunities for learning and familiarisation with tech tools, which translates into better access to education and employment opportunities.

Supporting Nonprofits’ Objectives
Open-source tools and technologies are crucial for nonprofits, strengthening their ability to positively impact society and humanity. For example, OpenUK’s 2023 State of Open Source Survey highlights the economic and social benefits of open-source software for the UK, showing a rise in company Open Source Program Offices (OPSOs) and an increase in the use of open-source solutions.

Some examples of Open Source Projects currently used to solve social issues include tools like:
RapidPro—open-source software that enables health organisations and humanitarian groups to collect real-time data on key metrics such as infections, diseases, water safety, and children’s malnutrition—demonstrate the power of open-source solutions. Through simple text messaging or platforms like WhatsApp, critical data can be gathered from individuals in hard-to-reach areas, informing decisions on distributing supplies such as food and vaccines.

Another example is HospitalRun, an open-source project that provides offline electronic health record (EHR) software to hospitals in developing countries. HospitalRun addresses challenges associated with handling and transporting medical records, saving time, resources, and, most importantly, lives.

Many successful open-source projects are contributing to solving global social issues, such as the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap, which helps improve disaster resilience. Using open-source technology, leading organisations, including IBM and Facebook, have dedicated teams to tackle problems like extreme poverty and disease outbreaks. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative invested $4.7 million in open-source software and open-science projects.

In conclusion, policymakers and technologists in Africa must view open-source technologies positively, especially if we are to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Open source can be a launchpad for African nations to make significant strides in mainstream technology.

Ogunniyi is a seasoned Software Engineer with a proven track record of developing innovative solutions in real estate, e-commerce, and AI. At Univrses, where he is contributing to the development of the 3DAI™ City platform by implementing cloud engineering solutions, he is passionate about lev⁰technology to solve real-world problems and create exceptional user experiences