(Ecofin Agency) - Madagascar is currently implementing a digital ID program aimed at providing a digital ID for every citizen. The program is supported by several development partners. 

In Madagascar, the government and the IFC will launch a training program to develop digital skills, the IFC announced in a release dated December 13, 2022.  

The program targets the youth and public and private sector employees. It will provide beneficiaries with training in IT professions such as software development, cloud architecture, data engineering, and cybersecurity. The training plans to reach 6,000 Malagasy (including at least 1500 women) within two years.  

“Under the partnership, IFC will work with Madagascar's government and local industry to define the types of advanced digital skills the country most needs, design the curriculum, and attract international education technology providers to work with local Malagasy institutions and universities to deliver the training,” the IFC explains.  

For Tahina Razafindramalo, Malagasy Minister of Development and Digital Transformation, the training will "strengthen human capital in Madagascar and support the growth of the digital ecosystem." The project is part of the government's digital transformation plan for Madagascar. Its ultimate goal is to improve the quality of and access to public services through their digitalization.

According to the World Bank, an acceleration of the digital transformation could enable the Malagasy government to create about 140,000 new digital jobs in various sectors in the next five years.  Meanwhile, the IFC reveals that "Madagascar's fast-growing IT and business processing outsourcing sector will need to hire about 7,500 IT professionals every year for the next five years."

For its digital transformation program, the country focuses on four main components, namely digitization of public education, health and land services, the use of new technologies in agriculture; the development of technical infrastructure, and financial inclusion. 

Jean-Marc Gogbeu