Airtel Africa Foundation Joins Forces with ITU to Bridge Digital Skills Gap in Rwanda
In a groundbreaking collaboration, the Airtel Africa Foundation, ITU, RISA, and Cisco have united to address the critical issue of digital skills development in Rwanda. This partnership, unveiled at the MWC Kigali event, aims to tackle the growing disparity between digital access and proficiency across the continent.
Airtel Rwanda will play a pivotal role by providing complimentary routers, Wi-Fi, and data packages to Digital Transformation Centres (DTCs) in underserved communities. This initiative complements the ITU's successful Digital Transformation Centre Initiative in Ghana, which has already empowered over 22,000 individuals, with a significant 68% being women. The DTC network, spanning 14 centres across four regions, including eight in Africa, offers a scalable model for digital skills enhancement.
The 'Tech For Her' program, launched by Airtel Africa Foundation in August 2025, further underscores the commitment to digital skills development. This initiative focuses on young women in Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya, offering specialized training in Linux Administration, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics. By combining ITU's training resources, Airtel's infrastructure, RISA's policy support, and Cisco's technical expertise, the partnership creates a comprehensive ecosystem for skill development.
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2025 Report highlights the urgent need for digital skills training, predicting that 59% of workers worldwide will require upskilling by 2030. Africa, however, faces a significant digital skills gap, with low technology adoption among companies hindering productivity and job creation. The partnership in Rwanda exemplifies how multi-stakeholder collaborations can accelerate digital progress and bridge the skills gap, ensuring Africa's competitiveness in the global digital economy.
