• Microsoft and Education Plus launched Empower+, a free digital platform offering AI and digital skills training across 21 African countries.

• The program targets adolescent girls and young womento reduce gender gaps in technology education.

• Sub-Saharan Africa could require 230 million digital jobs by 2030, according to the World Bank.

Microsoft and the Education Plus initiative, supported by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), launched a new digital platform designed to strengthen artificial intelligence and digital skills among young people in Africa.

The partners announced on March 10 the rollout of Empower+, an online platform that provides free access to digital training programs. The initiative primarily targets adolescent girls and young women in 21 African countries and aims to reduce inequalities in access to technological education.

The platform, also accessible via mobile devices, offers modules covering basic digital literacy, emerging artificial intelligence skills, and the use of technology in the workplace. In addition, the modules combine digital training with awareness and prevention content related to HIV, a major public health issue affecting young women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Tiara Pathon, Director of Artificial Intelligence Skills at Microsoft Elevate, said the initiative aims to equip learners with the capabilities required in a digital economy. “Access to education and skills is one of the most powerful drivers of opportunity. With Empower+, we want to enable learners to gain the knowledge to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world,” she said.

This launch comes as demand for skilled digital professionals continues to rise across the region. According to the World Bank, nearly 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030.

However, gender disparities remain significant. UNESCO reports that women and girls are 25% less likely than men to use digital tools for basic purposes, four times less likely to know how to program, and thirteen times less likely to file patents in information and communication technologies (ICT).

Against this backdrop, expanding access to digital skills training represents a key lever to reduce inequality and support economic inclusion. Online training initiatives could help create more professional opportunities for young women in a technology sector that remains largely male-dominated.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum