The telecom operator’s goal is to help offer digital skills to the youth, boost their employability and prepare them for the evolving job market. 

French telecom group Orange and the German cooperation Agency (GIZ) inaugurated, Monday (October 3), a new "Orange Digital Center" in Liberia. The technology center was officially inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Brelotte Ba, Deputy CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa. The center, based in Monrovia,  aims to offer digital skills to everyone.

"I am very proud to inaugurate the 11th Orange Digital Center today in Liberia, which is part of a network of 32 Orange Digital Centers that will be deployed not only in Africa and the Middle East but also in Europe. The objective is to democratize access to digital technology to young people - with or without qualifications - giving them access to the latest technological skills to strengthen their employability and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow," said Brelotte Ba.

The 715 square meter infrastructure “brings together four strategic programs of the Orange group, namely; a coding school, a solidarity FabLab - one of the Orange Foundation's digital manufacturing workshops, and an Orange Fab start-up accelerator, supported by Orange Ventures Africa, the investment fund.” 

“All of the programs are provided free of charge and open to everyone. They range from digital training for young people, 90% of which are practical, guidance for project bearers, start-up acceleration, and investment in these,” an official release informs.

The digital center, which has been operational since January 2022, has already hosted several digital training courses and events. It also aims to establish Orange Digital Center Clubs, extensions of the coding school, in partner universities in the country. That way, as many people as possible can access the new technologies and use them to their full extent. 

The center inaugurated yesterday is the eleventh inaugurated by Orange in the Middle East and Africa. The first ten were inaugurated in Tunisia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Madagascar, and Morocco. It is in line with the group’s approach to digital inclusion and aims to “empower every person to take advantage of the opportunities of digitalization and work hard to close the digital divide.” 

Samira Njoya