AfDB, La Francophonie Launch Digital Skills Initiative in Five African Countries

June 26, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

The African Development Bank Group and the International Organization of La Francophonie have signed a strategic partnership to expand digital skills, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for young people and women in five African countries.

The agreement will initially be implemented in Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar through training programmes focused on digital professions, entrepreneurship and business creation.

The partnership was signed in Paris on Wednesday by La Francophonie Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo and African Development Bank Group President Sidi Ould Tah (PhD).

The initiative will offer training in web and mobile development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data analysis. Participants will also receive career guidance, support for self-employment and assistance in developing new businesses through training camps, prototyping programmes and partnerships with business incubators and accelerators.

The two organisations will work with governments and training institutions in the five countries to strengthen local capacity and support national ownership of the programmes. A pilot phase lasting between 12 and 24 months will be launched before the initiative is expanded to other member states based on the results.

The programme aligns with the African Development Bank's new strategic agenda under Ould Tah, including the priority of "Turning Demographics into a Dividend," which aims to harness Africa's growing youth population through investment in education, vocational training, technology, entrepreneurship and digital innovation.

The Bank said the strategy views Africa's expanding young population as an economic asset capable of driving productivity, innovation and inclusive growth through stronger investment in human capital, particularly among young people and women.

The International Organization of La Francophonie said the agreement represents the first concrete step in its initiative to mobilise new and innovative sources of funding for its highest-impact programmes.

Source: FSX Business News