Orange Côte d’Ivoire and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a joint initiative to expand digital training and youth employability across Côte d’Ivoire. The partnership, formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed in Abidjan, focuses on empowering young women and vulnerable populations through digital education, entrepreneurship support, and innovation hubs.
The program will leverage the Orange Digital Center, the telecom group’s entrepreneurial support platform, to deliver training and mentorship. It also aims to extend beyond urban areas, reaching rural and underserved communities to reduce disparities in digital access.
This collaboration aligns with Côte d’Ivoire’s Digital Acceleration Project (PADCI) and the government’s goal to raise the digital sector’s contribution to GDP to 15% by 2030, up from about 6% today. Investments in infrastructure, digital services, and human capital are central to achieving that target.
For Orange Côte d’Ivoire, which serves over 35 million customers across Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Liberia, the partnership reinforces its commitment to digital inclusion and innovation. The company has expanded programs in coding, tech entrepreneurship, and digital professions training in recent years.
The UNDP emphasized that the initiative supports its broader mission to use technology as a tool for reducing inequalities and promoting economic inclusion. Together, the partners aim to build a more inclusive digital ecosystem capable of meeting the evolving needs of Côte d’Ivoire’s labor market.
