Introduction

The purpose of this documentation site is to provide quick access to all the information about Deca Data Limited in one place for anyone who needs it.

Let's begin with the vision behind the establishment of the company called Deca Data Limited.

Deca Data Limited started as an idea that carried the solution to two major problems common to many African nations. On one hand, the CEO, Oluwaseyi Akinde, didn't want Nigeria, and Africa as a whole, to lose in the race for data ownership and control in the age of artificial intelligence, called the 4th industrial revolution. On the other hand, Nigerians are suffering greatly due to unprecedented levels of corruption, and poverty is growing at an alarming rate, with more citizens living on less than $1 a day.

The solution?

Oluwaseyi had an idea to build a decentralized data center incorporating an evolved form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) he calls shared prosperity. It is a model of CSR that has never been used before, and there have been questions around how the model works. The data center, a critical infrastructure for storing and serving data, will position Nigerian businesses and government on a path to true digital transformation in the coming years, while the shared prosperity model puts money directly in the pockets of all local community members who buy into this idea at the onset, called "partners."

Shared Prosperity?

Deca Data Limited's "shared prosperity" model goes beyond traditional CSR and represents an innovative hybrid approach. Let's break things down for better understanding:

1. Core CSR Alignment:

   • Social Mission: Deca explicitly addresses a critical social issue (poverty, economic exclusion) while pursuing its business goals (data control/AI readiness).

   • Stakeholder Focus: It directly benefits a key stakeholder group (local citizens/"partners"), moving beyond shareholders.

   • Responsible Business: The model promotes inclusive growth and aims to distribute economic benefits more widely, aligning with CSR principles of ethical and sustainable development.

2. Key Differences from Traditional CSR:

   • Integrated Revenue-Sharing: Traditional CSR often involves donating a portion of profits to social causes after they are earned. Deca's model embeds revenue-sharing directly into its core business operation. Partners earn from the revenue stream generated by the servers, not from post-profit philanthropy.

   • Direct Empowerment & Ownership: Instead of funding external projects or charities, Deca empowers individuals to become micro-owners/participants in the data infrastructure itself. This is closer to a cooperative or shared ownership model.

   • Business Model Innovation: "Shared prosperity" isn't just an add-on initiative; it's fundamental to how Deca operates and generates value. The social impact is the mechanism driving participation and, potentially, competitive advantage.

   • Scalability via Participation: The model leverages widespread participation (many partners contributing to/supporting the data center) to achieve both its social and business goals simultaneously.

3. What We Can Call It:

   • Innovative/Transformative CSR: It pushes the boundaries of CSR by deeply integrating social benefit into the revenue model.

   • Shared Value Creation: This aligns strongly with Michael Porter's concept of "Creating Shared Value" (CSV), where companies generate economic value by creating societal value. Deca tackles a social problem (poverty) through its core business strategy (building decentralized data infrastructure).

   • Inclusive Business Model: The model explicitly includes low-income populations as active participants and beneficiaries within the value chain.

   • Social Enterprise Model: Deca exhibits characteristics of a social enterprise—using market-driven approaches to solve social problems, with the social mission (shared prosperity) being central to its purpose.

In a nutshell, while Deca's "shared prosperity" model embodies the spirit and goals of CSR (addressing social issues responsibly), its specific mechanism—direct revenue-sharing integrated into the core business operation - makes it more innovative and impactful than most traditional CSR programs.

It's best described as a hybrid model combining elements of

• Creating Shared Value (CSV)

• Inclusive Business

• Social Enterprise

• Platform Cooperativism (decentralized ownership via partners)

Yes, we can call it a form of CSR, but it's a highly evolved, integrated, and impactful version that fundamentally links business success to direct community prosperity. It represents a next-generation approach to corporate social responsibility.

Next, we look at the process involved in onboarding partners to this venture.