Airtel Africa Foundation has partnered on a Joint Initiative with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) and Cisco on capacity and digital skills development, under the Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative.
This partnership aims to bridge the digital divide and promote digital inclusion by providing free Internet connectivity and digital skills training to underserved communities in Rwanda, in connection with the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Industry sources added that ITU will provide digital skills training content to the DTCs under the Initiative along with other ITU regional capacity development activities. In addition, ITU will facilitate networking opportunities related to promoting digital literacy and inclusion, which will enable access to expertise and best practices.
The Airtel Africa Foundation, through Airtel Rwanda, will equip DTC locations with routers, Wi-Fi and data packages at no cost, ensuring the effective rollout of training and access to digital educational platforms.
The landmark partnership aligns with Rwanda’s ambition to become a knowledge-based economy and complements national programmes such as ‘Connect Rwanda’ that promote access to smartphones and digital services for underserved communities.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Sujay Chakrabarti, Airtel Rwanda Managing Director said “Today’s partnership between the Airtel Africa Foundation, ITU, RISA, and Cisco marks a significant step forward in bridging the digital divide and empowering Rwandan youth with digital skills. This partnership is a powerful example of what happens when government, private sector, and international organisations come together to empower communities.”
“This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting national development goals and closing the digital divide through meaningful collaboration,” said Ms. Esi Asare Prah, Head of Programs at Airtel Africa Foundation on behalf of Dr Segun Ogunsaya, Chair of the Airtel Africa Foundation. “We are honoured to partner with ITU to bring this vision to life and contribute to Rwanda’s journey toward becoming a digitally empowered society” she added.
“Our partnership with Airtel Africa Foundation begins in Rwanda, where we are joining forces to strengthen digital skills in underserved communities to advance connectivity. This initiative lays the groundwork for broader regional collaboration, as we aim to expand this work to other Digital Transformation Centres across Africa,’’ said Dr Emmanuel Mannaseh, Regional Director for International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Mr. Antoine Sebera, CEO of Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) said “What we are seeing here today is partnership in action. Statistics show that 900 million people in Africa remain unconnected, extra effort needs to be made to make sure that no one is left behind. This positions Rwanda a step ahead by being intentional to involve the youth. These centres are going to play a transformative role in educating the youth to leverage AI. Digital Transformation is driving the world and Africa or Rwanda can not be left behind.”
