• Kinshasa signs LOI with Huawei to explore digital education projects
• Plans cover smart classrooms, e-learning platforms, and an innovation lab
• Report says progress in digital education remains slow and fragmented

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has signed a letter of intent with Chinese technology company Huawei to strengthen cooperation in digital education. Marie-Thérèse Sombo Ayanne Safi Mukuna, Minister of Higher and University Education, signed the document last week during the Global Smart Education Conference 2025, held in Beijing from August 18 to 20.

The LOI outlines possible collaboration on building digital infrastructure for universities, creating smart classrooms and online learning platforms, and training teachers and students in digital skills. It also mentions plans for a joint innovation lab in the DRC to help train young people for the digital economy.

The government says the initiative is part of its wider effort to modernize the education system through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). Officials see digital tools as key to making education more inclusive and better suited to the needs of the 21st century.

Earlier this year, in February, the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship issued a decree to regulate online learning in primary, secondary, and technical schools. The move follows UNESCO guidelines and aims to improve access to quality education, ensure learning continuity, and strengthen resilience in times of crisis.

In May 2025, a workshop in Kinshasa brought together stakeholders to draft a national ICT strategy for education. The plan targets equipping 60% of schools with digital tools by 2029, alongside teacher training, updated curricula, and improved school management systems.

Other recent steps include launching an open and e-learning platform to expand access to higher education across the country, including conflict-affected regions, and rolling out a digital diploma system. UNICEF and Airtel are also working with the government on the “Access to Education 2022–2027” program, which targets 10,000 students. Airtel began talks in 2024 to make the national online platform “Ma Classe” freely available.

For now, the Huawei partnership remains at an early stage. The letter of intent is not a binding agreement, and no formal deal has been signed. A government report published in August 2025 noted that progress in digital education remains scattered and poorly coordinated. It pointed to major obstacles, including weak infrastructure, limited institutional capacity, lack of funding, social and economic barriers, poverty, the digital divide, and cultural resistance.