• Senegal plans national e-learning platform to train civil servants in digital skills
  
• Initiative discussed in April 18 meeting between Ministries of Digital Affairs and Civil Service
• Aims to enhance digital literacy, modernize tools, and integrate AI in public administration

The Senegalese government is exploring the creation of a national e-learning platform to provide continuous digital skills training for civil servants. Officials believe the initiative will help accelerate the country’s digital transformation—a central pillar of its socioeconomic development strategy in the coming years.  

The platform’s development was among the key projects discussed during a joint meeting between the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Service and Public Service Reform on April 18.  

“This strengthened collaboration between our two ministries marks a crucial step in implementing the Technological New Deal and the President’s Vision 2050, which seeks to build an agile, inclusive, and user-focused administration—fully aligned with the Ministry of Civil Service’s reform priorities,” the Ministry of Digital Affairs said in a statement.  

Improving civil servants’ digital literacy is a core objective of Senegal’s digital transformation policy. The government aims to bolster basic and intermediate skills to promote digital awareness and cultivate a proactive, sustainable digital culture within the public sector. Additional goals include modernizing tools through high-performance digital solutions, integrating artificial intelligence into administrative workflows, and establishing a structured system for monitoring, evaluating, and continuously upgrading skills.  

This strategy aligns with recommendations from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In its report Developing Skills for Digital Government: A Review of Good Practices Across OECD Governments, the OECD stresses that countries must invest in civil servants’ digital competencies to support the shift toward digital governance. The push comes as the World Bank estimates that nearly 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030. Senegal currently employs around 130,000 civil servants.  

However, the OECD cautions that the success of such training initiatives depends on their design, delivery, and execution.  

“Governments must first pinpoint the essential digital and complementary skills, then evaluate existing staff capabilities to identify gaps,” the organization advises. “This allows for targeted training programs that maximize available resources. Finally, they must assess the impact of these efforts to refine future initiatives.”

By Isaac K. Kassouwi,

Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji