Airtel Africa Foundation Partners with ITU to Boost Digital Skills in Rwanda
Airtel Africa Foundation has announced a new partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to accelerate digital skills development and expand connectivity across Rwanda.
The partnership, which also involves the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) and Cisco Networking Academy, was announced during the recent MWC Kigali event.
A key pillar of the initiative is the provision of essential resources to Digital Transformation Centres (DTCs) in underserved communities. Through Airtel Rwanda, the Foundation will supply free routers, Wi-Fi, and data packages, ensuring that citizens can access vital online learning resources and digital training opportunities.
“Today’s partnership between the Airtel Africa Foundation, ITU, Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) and Cisco Networking Academy marks a significant step forward in bridging the digital divide and empowering Rwandan youth with digital skills,” Mr. Sujay Chakrabarti, Airtel Rwanda Managing Director, said.
“This collaboration demonstrates a powerful example of what happens when government, private sector, and international organizations come together to empower communities.”
The initiative directly addresses one of Africa’s most critical development challenges: the gap between digital access and essential digital skills. Reports indicate that by 2030, a large majority of digital skills demand in Africa will be for basic competencies, yet an OECD survey across 15 African countries showed that only 9% of youth currently possess these essential skills. Closing this gap is crucial for boosting productivity and enabling job creation in the digital economy.
Esi Asare Prah, Head of Programs at the Airtel Africa Foundation, said the partnership underscores Airtel Africa’s ongoing commitment to national development and digital inclusion, noting that working with international partners like the ITU will help turn this shared vision into action and strengthen Rwanda’s digital future.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting national development goals and closing the digital divide through meaningful collaboration. We are honoured to partner with ITU to bring this vision to life and contribute to Rwanda’s journey towards becoming a digitally empowered society,” she stated.
The collaboration leverages the ITU’s successful Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative, which has already provided digital skills training to over 22,000 people (68% women) across four regions, including in Ghana. This established model provides a scalable blueprint for digital skills development.
This comprehensive approach aligns perfectly with Rwanda’s national agenda, which aims to transition the country into a knowledge-based economy by 2025-2030. The government has actively promoted access to smartphones and digital services through national programmes and has implemented forward-thinking policies, such as the 2023 National AI Policy. The Airtel-ITU partnership complements these efforts by not only providing the infrastructure (connectivity) but also the necessary human capital development (skills).
Emmanuel Mannaseh, Regional Director for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said the collaboration marks the start of a wider effort to boost digital skills and connectivity across Africa, beginning with Rwanda.
“Our partnership with Airtel Africa Foundation begins in Rwanda, where we are joining forces to strengthen digital skills in underserved communities to advance connectivity,” he stated. “This initiative lays the groundwork for broader regional collaboration, as we aim to expand this work to other digital transformation centres across Africa.”
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