New York, 29 January 2026 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Africell have partnered to enhance digital connectivity for UNDP’s timbuktoo University Innovation Pods (UniPods) in Sierra Leone and The Gambia. The collaboration aims to provide young innovators with the tools and infrastructure needed to develop, test, and scale solutions addressing local and global development challenges.
Under the partnership, Africell will supply essential digital connectivity services to the UniPods, including 4G MiFi devices, high-speed internet, and Internet of Things (IoT) equipment. These resources will empower participants to leverage technology in innovative ways, fostering entrepreneurship and problem-solving within the university-based innovation hubs.
Ziad Dalloul, Africell Group CEO and President of the Africell Impact Foundation, highlighted that the partnership combines Africell’s connectivity expertise with UNDP’s innovation network. He emphasized that equipping UniPods with reliable internet services represents an investment in young Africans, helping transform raw talent into successful enterprises.
Beyond providing connectivity, UNDP and Africell will collaborate on innovation and accelerator programs to increase participation in the UniPods and enhance their long-term social impact. These initiatives will integrate robotics, entrepreneurship, and digital skills training, building on programs already offered by the Africell Impact Foundation across its learning centers in West Africa.
The agreement reflects UNDP’s commitment to expanding Africa’s home-grown innovation ecosystem under the timbuktoo initiative. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant UN Secretary General and Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, noted that digital inclusion is critical for Africa’s innovation future, and that investing in youth talent and removing barriers to opportunity accelerates the continent’s path toward competitiveness and inclusive growth.
UNDP’s UniPods are high-tech maker and innovation spaces in public universities that equip young people with the tools and skills needed to transform ideas into market-ready solutions. These hubs form part of the broader timbuktoo initiative, which also includes Policy Labs and thematic industry hubs in major African cities, all aimed at boosting investment in African founders and startups.
