The First-ever Internet Country

When I first heard about it I could not believe it, the first-ever internet country. Two visionary entrepreneurs realized that everywhere they go, and everywhere they look Africans are often associated with scarcity, weakness, and poverty. In their own words, they realize that “Africans worldwide are subjects, not citizens”. Access to opportunity is scarce and security is not guaranteed, For the most part, life is just about surviving, not thriving”(Afropolitan).

This inspired them to embark on a journey to build the first-ever Internet country. Afropolitan, a Digital Nation with a mission to enable “all Africans to build abundant lives”, by bringing them together. In this article, I look at what this digital nation or internet country is, what it means for the future, and the underlying societal change.

First thing is first, what is a digital nation or internet country? Is it a social media platform? Is it a hashtag, or an online community? Well before I explain what it is let's first understand what a nation, state, sovereign state and country is.

What is a Nation? A state? A Sovereign State? A country?

• A STATE is a territory with its own institutions and populations.
• A SOVEREIGN STATEis a state with its own institutions and populations that has a permanent population, territory, and government. it must also have the right and capacity to make treaties and other agreements with other states.
• A Nation - is a large group of people who inhabit a specific territory and are connected by history
• A Country can be used to mean the same thing as a state, sovereign state, or nation-state. It can also be used in a less political manner to refer to a region or cultural area that has no governmental status.

What is a Digital Nation?

Now that we understand what a nation, a state, and a sovereign state are, what is a digital nation? A digital nation is a community that exists online but has a physical presence in the form of a city or network of cities. Once it reaches a critical mass, it manifests in the real world. The terms "digital nation" and "network state" are interchangeable and refer to an online network that has a physical manifestation in the real world. The book "Network State" provides a simple definition of this concept.

A network state is a highly aligned online community with a capacity for collective action that crowdfunds territory around the world and eventually gains diplomatic recognition from pre-existing states.

The Network State

Afropolitan is a network that aims to bring the best of Africa in various fields like art, finance, tech, health, energy, sports, and media. The founders have ambitious plans for this Digital Nation. They are currently in the first phase of building a network that will eventually become the 10th largest in the world. The diaspora is their Northstar, and they aim to offer a super app in phase two that provides services and utilities to members. Phase three will see the transition from digital to physical with the establishment of a minimally viable state. Finally, in phase four, they plan to make agreements with governments, This is amongst the boldest visions I’ve seen and will change the world as we know it.

You can’t help but wonder what this tells us about the future, will we see more internet countries? Is this the first sign of a changing world?

What kind of change does this represent?

As we have seen, we are now more connected than we’ve ever been before in the history of mankind. The internet allows people to organize at scales that were previously unthinkable before this generation. over the past decade, we have seen platforms like Facebook rise to have 2.8 Billion people on the platform, if Facebook were a country it would be the largest on earth. imagine Facebook had treaties and agreements with other states? and their own passport?

But most online communities are more passive, they don’t own assets, and do not have a currency or passport. This is the fundamental thing that Afropolitan is changing, As you mentioned, many online communities are more passive and do not have the ownership of assets, currency or passports. However, Afropolitan is changing this paradigm by moving towards more active digital networks that will have ownership of assets and agreements and treaties in the future.

If we look at how nations were formed in history, it is evident that there are many reasons. These include factors such as geography, cultural identity, political evolution, wars and conflicts, colonialism and imperialism, nationalism, and treaties and agreements. Each nation has a unique history and set of circumstances that have contributed to its formation, and the same can be said for the concept of a digital nation or internet country.

As a human, you do not decide where you are born, which culture you are born into, or which treaties or agreements you are a part of with your nation. With the move toward online communities and networks, people can connect on shared values and common goals. This can include, owning assets, exchanging knowledge and trading etc. This signals a move from centralisation to decentralisation, but what drives this change?

What is driving this change?

I’ve been looking at this vision to create this Digital nation and wondering what this means for the future and the underlying pattern of change it signals. Several factors come into play, firstly, the desire for humans to thrive and prosper in life. Many people feel that traditional institutions and structures such as governments, corporations, and even nations are not serving their needs or interests, and this has led to people finding alternative ways. We know that people want to be part of nations that serve them. The human desire for better safety and security is the underlying driver.

What will the world be like in 10 years if this gets amplified?

In the future, not only will you have citizenship in the country where you were born, but you will also have the option to choose additional citizenships. This will enable you to live in other countries, travel to various destinations, and be part of a community that shares the same goals, values, and assets.

Is this the possible future we want?

The question is, can we create a better world? If we had nations that were dedicated to building prosperity for all and providing opportunities for people to succeed, I would be excited to live in a world where digital nations exist. Unfortunately, some people are born in countries where they have little chance to thrive and no other option. In life, we don't get to choose where we are born, and it can determine whether we live a prosperous life or one filled with suffering and pain.

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