In 2015, all the United Nations member states adopted Agenda 2030, which includes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their 169 associated targets. These goals aim to fight poverty in all forms and promote sustainable development. These goals concern all countries, and not only the low- and middle-income categories. EssentialTech Centre has adopted a specific focus on Low and Lower-Middle-Income countries (LMICs), which represent roughly 4bn people living on less than $8 per day. While the levels of extreme poverty have been decreasing globally with many countries on track to reach their SDG targets, on this front the sub-Saharan Africa has been experiencing the opposite, which is, an alarming increase in extreme poverty. Hence, our decision to adopt an “Africa First” focus in our activities.

In our view, Essential Technologies are those technologies that can facilitate and enable the attainment of our stated Mission, as well expedite the achievement of SDGs. We observed that the specific domains that can play a crucial role in achieving these goals are those related to: Energy, Water & Sanitation, Information & Communication, Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture & Nutrition, Construction and Transportation.