Orange inaugurates the Orange Digital Center (ODC) Guinea-Bissau, an ecosystem dedicated to developing digital skills, promoting innovation, enhancing youth employability, and supporting local entrepreneurship.
The ODC is an integrated ecosystem offering a variety of free programs open to all, ranging from hands-on digital training for young people to support for project leaders and start-up acceleration. This initiative marks a significant milestone in Orange’s commitment to digital development and socio-economic inclusion in Guinea-Bissau.
The center includes a coding school, a “FabLab Solidaire” (a digital production workshop for creating and prototyping), and an “Orange Fab” start-up accelerator. It is supported by Orange Ventures Africa, the Orange Group’s investment fund, which invests in the most promising start-ups.
Orange Digital Center Bissau is part of a dynamic network of 26 ODCs across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. This network facilitates the exchange of experience and expertise across countries, offering a simple, inclusive approach to boosting youth employability, encouraging innovative entrepreneurship, and promoting the local digital ecosystem.
In collaboration with universities, Orange Guinea-Bissau plans to expand beyond the capital by training students free of charge and establishing Orange Digital Center Clubs in various universities, particularly in the Canchungo region. This initiative aims to provide widespread access to new technologies, helping as many people as possible to benefit from them.
Through this ODC, Orange is committed to fostering youth employability while supporting sustainable growth and Guinea-Bissau’s digital transformation agenda. The program also emphasizes gender equality and inclusion by facilitating access to ICT jobs for women and girls.
This initiative aligns with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, targeting six Sustainable Development Goals: quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), reduced inequality (SDG 10), and partnerships to achieve the goals (SDG 17).
Brelotte Ba, Deputy CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, expressed his enthusiasm: “I’m proud to return to Bissau for the inauguration of Guinea-Bissau’s Orange Digital Center, a place where innovation and digital inclusion come to life. This space is much more than just a technology center; it’s a promise of transformation and growth for the digital future of Guinea-Bissau and Africa. By providing free access to cutting-edge resources, we hope to inspire a new generation of creators and leaders and contribute to an inclusive digital economy.”
Sekou Dramé, CEO of Sonatel and Chairman of the Board of Orange Bissau, added: “After Dakar, Bamako, Conakry, and Freetown, the inauguration of the Orange Digital Center in Bissau is a crucial step in the Sonatel Group’s commitment to innovation and digital inclusion in Guinea-Bissau. By offering young talents the tools and resources they need to develop their skills, we are helping to create a dynamic and sustainable digital ecosystem. This investment demonstrates our commitment to positively transforming society through technology and digital education.”
The Orange Digital Center Bissau represents a significant step forward in promoting digital skills, innovation, and economic development in Guinea-Bissau, reflecting Orange’s broader commitment to advancing digital inclusion across Africa.
