The youth needs digital skills and opportunities to make a productive contribution to the digital future envisioned by leaders. To that end, authorities in various countries are implementing actions to develop talents and open new horizons. 

Last Monday, Malagasy First Lady Mialy Rajoelina (photo, left) inaugurated a digital incubation center funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Antananarivo to support young people with innovative ideas and projects.

According to Ms. Rajoelina, the "center will go a long way in ensuring access to digital education, especially for [...] young girls.” 

“Education is not only a fundamental human right. It is also the guarantor of the sustainable development of our society and our country," she said

In Madagascar, young people still face significant hurdles in their bid to access digital education. Apart from internet access challenges, they also face inconsistent electricity supply and a lack of ICT tools to learn, develop, and share digital solutions.

According to data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in 2018, for every 100 people in Madagascar, only 0.12 had a fixed internet subscription, which is about 33,600 people in a country with a population estimated to be 28 million.

The new incubation center will therefore address some of the country's ICT infrastructure challenges. Located in UNFPA's Antananarivo office, it offers free access to a range of ICT tools and other support. It also has an annex in Tulear, in the Atsimo-Andrefana region. 

According to the region’s governor Edally Tovondrainy, the annex will help young people build their talents and launch innovative projects to develop the region, which is the largest in Madagascar.  

Samira Njoya