This proposal aims to strategically position Cardano as the blockchain of choice in Africa by establishing three fully operational Cardano Community Hubs in Lagos (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya), and Douala (Cameroon). These cities represent the epicenters of Web3 innovation in both Anglophone and Francophone Africa, and this initiative is designed to deliver not only infrastructure but long-term ecosystem value by localizing Cardano adoption, education, and developer engagement.

NODO, leveraging its deep presence in the African Web3 landscape, will lead the design, launch, and operational management of the hubs. Each Cardano Community Hub will serve as a multi-functional center—acting as a:

• Community Anchor: Hosting meetups, user onboarding sessions, Cardano wallet setup drives, and open forums for education and feedback.
• Enterprise Gateway: Facilitating introductions, onboarding sessions, and ecosystem alignment with Web3 startups, fintech firms, and blockchain innovators across Africa.
• Developer Incubator: Running Cardano-focused technical programs including coding workshops, smart contract tutorials, and engineering sprints.

Over the course of 12 months, the program will be structured around three strategic goals:

1. Visibility & Awareness: Position Cardano as a Known & Trusted Brand Through monthly AMAs featuring Cardano thought leaders, product builders, and local innovators, the hubs will serve as content engines to amplify Cardano’s vision. With a combined reach of 1 million+ live listeners and recorded media syndication through NODO’s owned and partner channels, this activity will expand Cardano’s voice across the continent.

2. Ecosystem Activation: Drive Enterprise and User Onboarding Each hub will serve as a regional onboarding node for Web3 startups, developer communities, and enterprise partners. NODO has engaged with over 2,000+ companies and founders across the continent. This program will convert that pipeline into active Intersect members, ADA wallet holders, and Cardano-aligned projects. Deliverables will include:

• Quarterly Cardano meetups at each location (12 events total)
• Tailored onboarding campaigns for startups and enterprise use cases
• Localized educational content and on-site guidance for setting up and using Cardano infrastructure

3. Engineering & Innovation: Cultivate Local Developer Talent Africa is home to one of the world’s fastest-growing developer populations. However, many local engineers remain disconnected from the Cardano ecosystem due to a lack of localized technical resources and programming support. Through dedicated Cardano Hubs, this initiative will:

• Establish Cardano engineering programs to teach Haskell, Plutus, and Marlowe fundamentals
• Organize code sprints, dev hangouts, and technical AMAs
• Support African developers in launching dApps, research papers, or CIP proposals

This will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the Cardano ecosystem, while amplifying African developer representation in global innovation.

4. Why This Matters for Cardano Africa represents a unique and high-potential frontier for blockchain adoption—marked by a young population, increasing smartphone penetration, and a thriving entrepreneurial spirit. Yet despite this growth, Cardano lacks a consistent, physical presence in the region. This proposal is not just about setting up hubs; it’s about building trust, access, and activity pipelines across the continent. It’s about transforming latent interest into measurable engagement—10,000+ new ADA wallets, dozens of enterprise collaborations, and a new generation of Cardano developers. With NODO’s established community, marketing, and technical reach—450,000+ users, 8 million+ page views, 100K+ Twitter followers, 80K+ Telegram followers—this initiative is uniquely positioned to succeed. The proposed hubs will become the go-to resource for all things Cardano in Africa. By investing in local infrastructure, technical education, and on-the-ground relationships, this program will directly contribute to Cardano’s mission of building an inclusive, decentralized future.

5. Strategic Locations: Nigeria, Cameroon and Dubai The Web3 ecosystems in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Dubai are growing and becoming important in the global technology landscape. NODO's expertise and partnerships played a role in selecting these regions, which will be explored in depth along with the reasons for their selection.

<Nigeria: Africa’s Web3 Powerhouse>

• Rapid Market Growth: Nigeria's crypto transaction volume reached $56.7 billion between July 2022 and June 2023, marking a 9% year-over-year growth—the fastest in Africa .​
• Youthful, Tech-Savvy Population: With over 60 million individuals aged 18–34 and a median age of 17.2 years, Nigeria boasts a large, digitally native demographic driving Web3 adoption
• High Crypto Awareness: A 2023 survey indicated that 99% of Nigerians are aware of cryptocurrencies, surpassing awareness levels in countries like the U.S. and U.K.
• Regulatory Evolution: The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has introduced guidelines for digital asset platforms, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has begun permitting licensed fintechs to offer crypto-related services
• Innovative Projects: Initiatives like Wicrypt are deploying decentralized WiFi hotspots, addressing connectivity challenges and showcasing Nigeria's capacity for Web3 innovation.​

<Kenya: The "Silicon Savannah" of Web3 Innovation>

• High Cryptocurrency Adoption: Kenya stands as one of Africa's leading cryptocurrency markets, with approximately 6 million crypto users. This positions Kenya second only to Nigeria on the continent in terms of crypto ownership.
• Mobile Money Integration: The widespread use of mobile money platforms like M-Pesa has cultivated a culture of digital transactions. This foundation facilitates the seamless integration and acceptance of Web3 solutions, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi).
• Growing Web3 Startup Ecosystem: Kenya hosts a burgeoning number of Web3 startups addressing local challenges;

• Pezesha: A digital lending marketplace connecting SMEs with investors, enhancing financial inclusion. ​
• Kotani Pay: Provides crypto-to-fiat conversions for unbanked populations, enabling access to financial services without internet connectivity. ​
• Melanin Kapital: A digital platform for solar irrigation, solar-powered retail, and electric mobility

• Supportive Regulatory Environment: Kenya is drafting policies to regulate the cryptocurrency market, aiming to provide clarity and security for investors and users. The introduction of the Kenya Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASP) Bill signifies a move towards a structured regulatory framework. ​
• Tech-Savvy Population: With 85% smartphone penetration, Kenya's population is well-equipped to adopt and utilize Web3 applications, fostering an environment ripe for innovation.
• Educational Initiatives and Events: Conferences like the Kenya Blockchain and Crypto Conference (KBCC) provide platforms for knowledge sharing, networking, and showcasing blockchain innovations, further nurturing the Web3 ecosystem.

<Cameroon: A Francophone Gateway to Web3>

• Strategic Positioning: Cameroon serves as a bridge between Anglophone and Francophone Africa, making it a pivotal entry point for Web3 projects targeting French-speaking markets.
• Investment Initiatives: The country is actively seeking investments in sectors like renewable energy, agriculture, and infrastructure, areas where blockchain can enhance transparency and efficiency.​
• Emerging Ecosystem: While still developing, Cameroon's interest in technological advancement and its efforts to attract foreign investment indicate a growing openness to Web3 solutions.

The Cardano ecosystem in Africa currently lacks localized, physical community hubs that can consistently engage developers, educate users, and onboard both grassroots participants and enterprise partners. Despite Africa’s rapidly growing Web3 user base—particularly in English-speaking hubs like Nigeria and Kenya, and in Francophone regions like Cameroon—Cardano’s brand visibility, wallet adoption, and developer network are underrepresented compared to competing ecosystems.

This proposal addresses three key problems:

1. Lack of permanent Cardano community infrastructure in high-growth African countries.
2. Low visibility and onboarding of Cardano among thousands of local Web3 projects and startups.
3. Weak technical engagement with African developers and engineers who could contribute to Cardano’s ecosystem.

NODO, Web3 ecosystem expansion platform for emerging markets, has onboarded 450,000 users (majority of them are from African countries) and major partnerships within the Web3 ecosystem to Cardano ecosystem in Africa and drive the long term adoption and growth of the Hub-based system globally. NODO can bring the following benefits to the Cardano Community.

1. Ecosystem Expansion in Underserved Markets

• Establishing Cardano Hubs in Lagos, Nairobi, and Douala will provide consistent, physical spaces for education, events, and developer collaboration.
• These hubs will serve as a launchpad for engaging Africa’s fast-growing tech-savvy population with Cardano use cases.

2. Tangible Adoption & Growth

• With monthly AMAs and quarterly offline meetups, the program expects to engage over 1 million live listeners and 10,000 new ADA wallet addresses within 12 months.
• The reach extends beyond NODO’s 430,000 registered users and 8M+ site views, tapping into over 2,000 Web3 projects from NODO/Adaverse’s network.

3. Enterprise and Developer Activation

• Strategic outreach will onboard dozens of African Web3 startups, partners, and developer teams to the Cardano ecosystem.
• The program will lay the foundation for a sustainable Cardano engineering community, contributing to open-source tools, DeFi primitives, and dApp development on Cardano.

4. Measurable ROI for the Cardano Community

• Boosts ecosystem participation through wallet creation, active community channels, and developer engagement.
• Provides ongoing media visibility and data-backed reporting from all campaign activities.

• 3 Cardano Institutional Hubs launched: Fully operational physical community and institutional hubs in Lagos, Nairobi, and Douala
• 12 Quarterly Offline Events: 4 offline Cardano-branded events per country, attended by 100+ participants each.
• 12 Monthly AMAs: One AMA/month with a minimum of 50,000 live listeners each, with published summaries.
• 10,000 New ADA Wallets: Wallet creation tracked via specific campaigns, integrations, and referral activations.
• Partnership Onboarding: At least 30 Web3 startups/enterprises introduced to the Cardano ecosystem through dedicated outreach and onboarding activities.
• Developer Onboarding: 500 trained, 50+ active developers
• Developer Pool: Launch a sustainable engineer pool in Africa and build developer communities
• Cardano Engineering Program: Regular dev-focused sessions including workshops, masterclasses, and project hackathons in at least two hubs.
• Impact Report: Final 12-month report detailing wallet adoption, event KPIs, dev engagement, enterprise partnerships, and media reach.

• Quarter 2: Engagement & Activation
• Goal: Drive community participation, technical engagement, and early adoption.

• Host 3 AMAs with Cardano ecosystem builders and African innovators
• Organize 3 regional meetups targeting fintechs and local Web3 communities
• Run wallet onboarding campaigns at each hub (target: 3,000+ wallets)
• Deliver 2 coding workshops focused on Plutus smart contracts and dev tooling
• Publish localized educational materials in English and French
• Onboard at least 10 startups or projects per hub into the Cardano ecosystem
• Engage early Intersect memberships from local ecosystem participants
• Share Q2 report with key community metrics and lessons learned

*Quarter 3: Acceleration & Ecosystem Growth

• Goal: Deepen enterprise collaboration, scale developer output, and increase visibility.

• Host 3 more AMAs with a focus on enterprise use cases and Cardano dApps
• Organize 3 additional meetups focused on real-world adoption and funding pathways
• Support technical AMAs and Dev Hangouts (1 per hub) with hands-on coding sessions
• Begin support for 3+ developer projects or prototypes to launch on Cardano
• Initiate Cardano integration workshops for startups (wallet, API, etc.)
• Publish case studies on success stories (wallet adoption, startup onboarding, dev project)
• Reach 8,000 ADA wallets onboarded cumulatively
• Provide detailed Q3 report with ecosystem engagement summary

*Quarter 4: Sustainability & Impact

• Goal: Cement Cardano’s position in the African Web3 landscape and deliver closing impact.

• Host final round of 3 AMAs featuring global Cardano leaders and African dev teams
• Deliver final 3 community meetups to celebrate milestones and outline next-phase goals
• Reach target of 10,000+ ADA wallets created
• Launch 3+ CIP submissions or dApp MVPs from African developers
• Consolidate 1-year results: partnerships, startups onboarded, developers trained
• Final impact report to Cardano community, Intersect, and ecosystem partners
• Propose sustainability strategy: community-run hubs, developer guilds, or Cardano Fellowships

Cost Breakdown (12 Months Total: 971,050 ADA / 485,525 USD)

• Operations: 196,200 ADA / 98,100 USD
• Outsourcing: 304,850 ADA / 152,425 USD
• Community Events & Developer Engagement: 122,000 ADA / 61,000 USD
• Marketing & Community Growth: 60,000 ADA / 30,000 USD
• Wallet Onboarding & Ecosystem Integration: 60,000 ADA / 33,000 USD
• Technical & Engineering Infrastructure: 180,000 ADA / 90,000 USD
• Monitoring, Reporting & Final Evaluation: 42,000 ADA / 21,000 USD

• Cost breakdown with detailed description and length of each expense category can be shown here.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gLnzXiDYY9ip-tP9bL81EiQTVPlG_OWBXjAsSPDTTZw/edit?gid=1760940232#gid=1760940232

Team Composition:

• Management: 1
• Hub Manager (1 per hub): 3
• Marketing Team: 3 (designer, writer and social media) Engineering Team: 2 Cardano Devs
• Community Hub Staff: 3-5 per hub
• External Influencer/KOLs: contract-based

Timeline:

• Deliveries: 12 months

NODO has led numerous partnerships with global and regional ecosystem leaders, demonstrating its ability to deliver on complex objectives with precision and scale.

Tether (Africa Campaign)

• Objective: Promote stablecoin adoption and education
• Outcomes:

• Onboarded 16,500+ retail investors into the USDT ecosystem
• Hosted 9 offline events in 6 countries, averaging 200 attendees per event
• 622,000+ live listeners for AMA events
• Media syndication in Binance News, TechLabari, Bitcoin.com, Coin Live, and more

ICP Southern Hub (Africa)

• Objective: Community development and awareness for Internet Computer (ICP) in Africa
• Outcomes:

• 1.1 million AMA listeners
• Telegram follower growth of +300%
• LinkedIn follower growth of +1300%
• Featured media syndication in Mariblock

Canza Finance

• Objective: Ecosystem incubation and community growth
• Outcomes:

• AMA reached 50,000+ listeners
• Community growth of +650%
• Syndicated PR in Cointelegraph, Bitcoin.com, Techpoint, CMC Live

Fonbnk (Africa Integration Campaign)

• Objective: Drive wallet connectivity and onramp usage
• Outcomes:

• 2,000 wallet connections achieved in one month
• Multi-country activation and digital campaign rollout

NODO has a decent development team and EMURGO Africa, whose development team has more than 7 years of the web 3 product development experience, will maintain.

It supports the product roadmap because it makes Cardano more recognizable

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