• 1,200 Dakar delivery workers complete digital skills training via Force-N initiative
• Program boosts youth employability with GPS, safety, and customer service modules
• Expansion planned nationwide as youth unemployment hits 24% in Senegal
  

Force-N, an initiative backed by the Cheikh Hamidou Kane Digital University (UN-CHK) and the Mastercard Foundation, announced Wednesday that 1,200 delivery workers completed an intensive digital skills training program in Dakar, Senegal. The program was held in eight practical sessions between September 23 and October 25, 2025, at several Open Digital Spaces (ENOs) across Dakar, including Mermoz, Guédiawaye, Pikine, Keur Massar, and Sébikotane.

The curriculum covered four core modules: professional image and customer relations, road safety, the use of GPS and digital geolocation tools, and incident and payment management. Each module combined technical proficiency with essential soft skills, aiming to professionalize delivery workers and improve service quality.

Force-N stated the initiative’s goal is to support young people under the age of 36 in accessing employment and entrepreneurial opportunities within the digital economy. By training delivery workers in new technologies and client expectations, the program contributes to greater inclusion in the digital sector.

Following the success of this pilot phase in Dakar, Force-N plans to expand the training to the regions of Thiès, Saint-Louis, Kaolack, and Ziguinchor, with a national objective of training 5,000 delivery workers. The ambition is to enable young workers across the country to acquire valuable skills in transport, logistics, and digital entrepreneurship.

This action comes as the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD) reports a broad unemployment rate of 19% in the second quarter of 2025. The rate is significantly higher among young people, reaching 24%, compared to 13.6% for adults. By professionalizing delivery workers and equipping them with necessary digital skills, Force-N seeks to enhance youth employability, stimulate access to new logistics and transport opportunities, and foster sustainable integration into the Senegalese labor market.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou