AfDB and OIF Partner to Expand Digital Skills in Africa

The initiative seeks to address one of the region's biggest development challenges by giving young people greater access to digital jobs while encouraging the growth of innovative businesses and start-ups.

The African Development Bank Group and the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) have signed a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening digital skills, improving employment opportunities and supporting entrepreneurship for young people and women in five African countries.

The agreement was signed in Paris, France, by African Development Bank Group President Dr Sidi Ould Tah and OIF Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo. The partnership will initially be implemented in Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar, where participants will receive training and support to prepare for careers in the digital economy. The initiative seeks to address one of the region's biggest development challenges by giving young people greater access to digital jobs while encouraging the growth of innovative businesses and start-ups.

Programme combines technical training with business support

The partnership will deliver training programmes in a range of digital fields, including web and mobile development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data analysis. Alongside technical skills, participants will receive career guidance, entrepreneurship training and support for self-employment. The programme also includes innovation camps, prototype development activities and partnerships with business incubators and accelerators to help aspiring entrepreneurs turn their ideas into viable businesses.

The African Development Bank Group and OIF will work closely with national governments and local training institutions to strengthen education systems and ensure the programmes can continue beyond the initial implementation period. The pilot phase will run for 12 to 24 months, after which the initiative may expand to other member countries based on its results.

Partnership supports Africa's growing digital economy

The agreement aligns with the African Development Bank Group's development agenda under its Four Cardinal Points, particularly the goal of Turning Demographics into a Dividend, which focuses on helping Africa's rapidly growing youth population drive economic growth through investment in education, technology and entrepreneurship.

The Bank believes that with the right policies and investment, Africa's young population can become a major source of innovation, business creation and productivity. Expanding access to digital skills, finance, vocational training and technology is expected to help create jobs, strengthen small businesses and support long-term economic transformation.

The OIF said the agreement also represents the first practical step in its broader initiative to secure innovative and additional funding for projects that deliver the greatest impact across its member states.