infoDev and the volunteer networking organisation Mobile Monday have launched new social networking hubs in Uganda and Kenya as part of a new programme that harnesses social networking for innovation in mobile applications. The Mobile Monday chapters in Kampala, Uganda and Nairobi, Kenya are a place where mobile industry visionaries and developers meet and drive the surging African mobile market. The chapters are run by volunteers in the mobile sector to encourage innovation, investment, information-sharing and partnership-building. They are also a channel for African innovation and mobile market know-how to flow to other parts of the world. 

The new Mobile Monday chapter in Kampala, Uganda was launched on 8 March, 2010 at a festive event that included volunteers, speakers and lively discussion.  Mr. Igeme Nabeta, the chairman of the Ugandan Parliament's ICT Committee was one of 130 participants including mobile operators, content providers, application developers, universities, civil society organizations and government.  Mr. Jari Tammisto, President and CEO of Mobile Monday, was delighted that the African mobile community so fully embraced the MoMo idea. Tammisto described the Kampala launch event as “the best MoMo launch ever. It was engaging, fun, personal and built trust among the community.” MoMo Kampala will meet again in April 2010 and continue to connect mobile start-up companies to local and international partners and investors.

Just three days later, on March 11 2010, Mobile Monday Kenya was launched in Nairobi. Finnish Ambassador Heli Sirve highlighted the award won by the Kenyan government for its broadband strategy at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Kenya’s Information and Communications Permanent Secretary, Dr. Bitange Ndemo, pledged the Kenyan government’s support for MoMo Nairobi. Dr. Ndemo said MoMo Nairobi is a crucial part of the vision to make Nairobi one of the top ICT hubs in the world.  Mr. Paul Kukubo, CEO of ICT Board of Kenya said MoMo Nairobi will be a key part of drawing investment to Nairobi as a global hub for the mobile sector.

Why use social networking to drive mobile innovation? infoDev focuses on the most cutting edge projects: supporting entrepreneurship and innovation and feeding policy and best practice lessons back into the development and donor communities. Social networking is a great way for business visionaries, technical experts and investors to share knowledge and vet ideas collaboratively and competitively. Already, entrepreneurs and innovators are shifting from a closed innovation loop to an open innovation model where partners, customers, researchers and even competitors find new ways to develop the best ideas. Innovation researchers have linked the exponential growth of the technology sector since the 1990s to its early adoption of social networking.  Building on its well established success with business incubators and innovation, infoDev sees social networking as an integral tool to promote entrepreneurship in the mobile community.

Through the program Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy, infoDev is partnering with the Government of Finland and handset manufacturer Nokia to establish mobile applications laboratories in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Social networking between application developers, entrepreneurs, mobile operators, content providers and investors will feed the mobile labs with a pipeline of great new business ideas.

This project is also supported by the Korean Trust Fund for ICT4D (Information and communication technologies for development) which works with developing countries to increase competitiveness, build businesses and create jobs.

Later in 2010, infoDev will work with local volunteers to launch new chapters of Mobile Monday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Maputo, Mozambique. There is also an existing Mobile Monday chapter in Johannesburg, South Africa. With these new launches, MoMo’s global presence will soon exceed 100 city chapters around the world, linking the growing networks of mobile industry innovators and visionaries and helping to create quality jobs.

Watch the many Youtube videos of people who took part in the MoMo launches by going to http://www.youtube.com and entering the search terms “Mobile Monday, Kampala Uganda“ or “Mobile Monday Nairobi Kenya”

To stay tuned to activities in the mobile community in Uganda, Kenya and around the world, visit http://www.mobilemonday.net.

Update: MobileMonday Nairobi held its first full meeting on 19 April, 2010, and participant Moses Kemibaro blogged about it, summarizing the discussion.