Orange and German Development Corporation launched digital centre in Sierra Leone

Orange Sierra Leone in partnership with German Development Cooperation on Friday, February 10, 2023, opened the Orange Digital Center (ODC) in Freetown, a centre that will serve as an ecosystem to support the development of digital skills and innovation in the country. 

The centre contains a coding school, a solidarity FabLab – one of the Orange Foundation’s digital manufacturing workshops, an Orange Fab startup accelerator, and the Orange Ventures Middle East and Africa (the investment fund of Orange Group that invests in the most talented startups of Orange Digital Center).

All programs at the centre will be provided free of charge and it’s open to everyone. The programs will also include a variety of digital training for young people, guidance to address project barriers, and start-up acceleration.

Speaking at the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of Orange Sierra Leone, Sekou Amadou Bah said, the digital centre is the first of its kind in the country, and the facilities will be accessible to all. 

“We are proud to inaugurate the first Digital Center of its kind in the country. The Orange Digital Center will provide state-of-the-art facilities with free access for all, reinforcing our strong ambition to democratize digital access for young people, especially women, with or without diplomas, to encourage them to pursue their venture into digital entrepreneurship and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Bah. 

The centre has facilitated the training of more than 1600 young people, with 52 per cent of women within one year. 

Orange has also opened similar digital centres in Tunisia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Madagascar, Morocco, Liberia, Botswana, and Guinea.