• DRC, Cisco, Cybastion to train 250,000 youth in digital skills
• Program covers cybersecurity, coding, entrepreneurship, and job placement
• Supports national digital plan aiming for $4.1B impact by 2029

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with U.S. technology companies Cisco and Cybastion on Friday, Sept. 26, in Washington. The agreement commits the firms to train 250,000 young Congolese in digital professions over a five-year period.

The training modules will cover key technical fields including cybersecurity, data science, programming, and operating systems, alongside essential soft skills such as technical English, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship.

The initiative, overseen by the Ministry of Youth and Patriotic Awakening, led by Minister Grâce Kutino, will be rolled out from the capital, Kinshasa, to the provinces. The program aims to build a critical mass of local expertise to reduce the country's reliance on foreign specialists and foster a technological elite capable of driving national digital transformation.

Beyond skills acquisition, Cisco and Cybastion have pledged to facilitate job placement for program beneficiaries by connecting them to their networks of local and international companies. This effort is expected to spur job creation and encourage digital entrepreneurship, particularly in underserved regions.

The program aligns with the DRC's National Digital Plan "Horizon 2025," which seeks to leverage digital technology as a driver for integration, good governance, economic growth, and social progress. Training qualified youth is a central pillar of the plan, deemed essential to support the government's digital modernization efforts.

If successful, the program could have significant economic impact. According to the GSMA, the digital economy could generate approximately $4.1 billion for the DRC by 2029, primarily through the adoption of technology in industry and agriculture, and the development of new digital services. However, the program's success hinges on overcoming several key challenges, including ensuring training quality, providing adequate digital infrastructure across all provinces, offering post-training support, and securing long-term funding.

Samira Njoya