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Côte d’Ivoire launched a recruitment drive for six senior digital sector positions
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The roles focus on AI, cybersecurity, digital policy and public sector digitalization
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The hires aim to support government digital transformation and expand ICT infrastructure
Côte d'Ivoire's Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitalization on Tuesday launched a recruitment drive to fill six senior positions aimed at supporting the rollout of government digital projects.
The vacancies include three specialized technical adviser roles covering innovation and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital trust, and legal affairs, regulation and digital economy policy. The ministry is also recruiting a Chief Information Officer (CIO), a Director of Digital Transformation of Public Administration, and a Director of Digital Infrastructure and Postal Development.
According to job descriptions published by the ministry, the technical advisers will support the minister and the chief of staff in their respective areas of expertise. Their responsibilities will include providing technical and strategic input for decision-making, reviewing submissions to the minister's office, and helping shape the ministry's policy priorities in digital technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital law.
The incoming CIO will be responsible for defining and overseeing the ministry's IT master plans to support the modernization and digital transformation of public administration, as well as the security of public data.
The Director of Digital Transformation of Public Administration will coordinate public sector digitalization projects and ensure their alignment with government priorities.
The Director of Digital Infrastructure and Postal Development will be responsible for designing and implementing policies to expand digital and postal infrastructure, with the aim of improving access to telecommunications and ICT services across the country.
Samira Njoya
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Ghana is deploying 3D security scanners at Accra’s main airport to speed up passenger screening
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New systems from 2026 will let travelers keep laptops and liquids inside bags during checks
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The upgrades are part of a broader push to modernize airports and position Ghana as a West African aviation hub
Ghana is deploying advanced 3D security scanners at Terminals 2 and 3 of Kotoka International Airport in Accra, as part of a broader effort to modernize border controls and improve passenger processing. President John Dramani Mahama announced the move on Monday, May 25, during the launch of the country’s new e-visa platform.
The new scanners are expected to reduce queues and shorten processing times at the terminals. Starting in August 2026, Ghana also plans to roll out new screening systems allowing passengers to keep laptops, liquids and electronic devices inside their bags during security checks. Travelers will no longer need to remove shoes or belts during inspections.
Officials said the reforms are part of a wider airport modernization program aimed at combining stronger security controls with faster passenger movement. The initiative includes advanced passenger information (API) systems and passenger name record (PNR) analytics tools designed to support intelligence-led screening.
Accra also confirmed that e-visas will be free for certain African travelers, while the digital platform will later be extended to work and residence permit applications. The investments come as traffic at Ghana’s main airport continues to rise sharply. Passenger numbers increased by about 39% to 2.5 million in 2025, from 1.8 million in 2022, according to airport authorities.
The growth is placing increasing pressure on existing infrastructure, particularly during peak periods when congestion affects check-in, immigration, security screening and baggage handling operations. To accommodate future demand, Ghana also plans to extend the runway at Kumasi Airport, build a new control tower in Accra and develop additional regional airports.
The country joins a growing number of African states investing heavily in smart airport infrastructure and digital border management systems. Morocco, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya have in recent years accelerated projects involving biometric controls, digital travel platforms and passenger flow technologies.
As African aviation hubs compete more aggressively for regional traffic, the quality and efficiency of the airport experience are becoming increasingly important factors in attracting airlines, investors, tourists and international events.
For Accra, the initiative is also part of a broader strategy to position Ghana as a regional gateway for West Africa and strengthen its appeal to international businesses.
Authorities see streamlined immigration procedures, upgraded infrastructure and digital public services as key tools to support trade and mobility under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Samira Njoya
Applications for the 2026 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition are open until Sunday, June 28. The contest is open to African entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 working to transform the food and agriculture sectors. Two winners will each receive $50,000 to help grow their businesses. Finalists will pitch their innovations at a summit in Rwanda and gain access to training, mentorship and networking opportunities with investors.
South African startup MyBitSecure is rolling out its agritech platform following a successful three-month pilot. The system uses IoT sensors to monitor soil conditions, optimize irrigation and secure farm data. Designed to integrate with existing equipment, the low-cost solution aims to support smallholder farmers and strengthen food security across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigerian startup Smartcomply is expanding into the UK to support digital banks and remittance firms. Its AI-powered platform verifies customer identities, detects fraud and monitors cross-border transactions. Built around African financial data and payment flows, the technology aims to strengthen anti-money laundering compliance.
With Africa’s digital economy evolving rapidly, he is focused on helping young people develop the skills they will need in the future workforce. Through his educational programs, he works to ensure that access to technology is not limited by social or economic background.
Nzometiah Nervis Tetsop is a Cameroonian entrepreneur and technology innovator. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Nervtek, a company that promotes science and technology education among children and youth.
Founded in 2018, Nervtek has developed an ecosystem centered on hands-on learning and the creation of practical solutions through a STEAM approach combining science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The organization aims to make these disciplines accessible to learners regardless of their socioeconomic background.
To achieve this, the company runs several educational programs for children and teenagers. One of its flagship initiatives is the Holiday Tech Camp, an immersive vacation program focused on digital technologies. Participants learn emerging technologies including robotics, programming, web development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, 3D modeling and drone piloting. The training is delivered through practical workshops and project-based activities designed to help students grasp theoretical concepts more intuitively.
Nervtek has also developed the nTron educational kit. Designed in Cameroon, the tool seeks to make science education more interactive and engaging. Using the electronic components and materials included in the kit, students can conduct experiments, build simple circuits and develop their own technology projects.
Beyond its educational programs, Nervtek also helps build a local innovation community through meetups, workshops and conferences. The organization places particular emphasis on inclusion, notably through technology camps designed for young women.
Nzometiah Nervis Tetsop earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Buea in 2020. He currently works as a technology consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Liberia and for Cameroon’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. He also contributes to the Projet d’accélération de la transformation numérique au Cameroun (Patnuc) as a digital policy analyst.
He is also a hardware engineer at Lead Robotics. He gained his first professional experience in 2018 as a trainee engineer at Eneo, Cameroon’s main electricity provider. In 2020, he served as head of robotics at Youth Empowerment through Science and Technology (YEST-IN), an initiative that encourages young people to support community development through science and technology.
Melchior Koba
Africa’s overworked teachers inspired him to build a tool aimed at cutting time spent on grading and administrative tasks. Through technology, he hopes to ease pressure on educators while improving how students learn.
Kabelo Mahlobogwane is a South African entrepreneur and educator. He is the founder and chief executive of The Marking App Africa, an education technology company that develops digital tools aimed at reducing administrative workloads for teachers and improving learning outcomes for students.
Founded in 2020, The Marking App Africa has gained attention for its technology that automatically grades handwritten assignments. Using a smartphone or scanner, teachers can digitize students’ work and receive instant grading alongside detailed feedback and learning recommendations. The system is designed to save teachers time and allow them to focus more on classroom instruction.
The company has also positioned itself as a broader educational platform. Its digital library provides African students with free access to more than 2,000 learning resources, including interactive games, quizzes, practice tests and online workbooks. These tools help learners track their progress over time and prepare more effectively for exams.
For schools, the platform also includes a digital attendance system and built-in communication tools. Through an internal messaging feature, teachers, students and parents can communicate in real time. An artificial intelligence-powered chatbot further supports the platform by acting as a virtual tutor for students.
Mahlobogwane earned a bachelor’s degree in African languages and linguistics from the University of Pretoria in 2016. Between 2022 and 2023, he worked as a language specialist for the municipality of Taichung in Taiwan. He later completed a master’s degree in political economy at National Tsing Hua University in 2025.
Melchior Koba
As digital channels become increasingly fragmented across Africa, customer retention has emerged as a major challenge for businesses on the continent. This entrepreneur aims to address that challenge.
Emmanuel Gbolade is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and the co-founder and chief executive of Termii Group, a company that provides digital customer communication solutions for businesses.
Founded in 2017, Termii has developed a multichannel platform that helps businesses communicate with customers through SMS, WhatsApp, voice calls and email. The platform is designed to support rapid notification delivery, strengthen customer engagement and enhance authentication security.
Termii offers a unified system for sending critical messages such as one-time passwords, transaction alerts and security notifications. Businesses can distribute messages across multiple channels and monitor delivery performance in real time.
Beyond transactional messaging, the company also provides tools for marketing and customer engagement. Businesses can run promotional campaigns, schedule reminders and personalize communications according to customer preferences and behavior.
The startup has also integrated artificial intelligence into its customer support services. Its AI-powered tools can automatically handle routine inquiries and direct more complex requests to the appropriate teams, helping businesses reduce response times and improve support efficiency.
Gbolade graduated from the University of Lagos in 2014 with a degree in urban and regional planning. Between 2018 and 2019, he served as chief operating officer of Accounteer, a Nigerian digital financial management platform, before focusing full-time on building Termii.
Melchior Koba
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Nigeria signed a deal with Coursera to expand digital skills training for youth
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The program will train Nigerians in AI, cybersecurity, data science and software engineering
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Nigeria is increasing digital training as demand for tech skills and youth unemployment rise
Nigeria has signed a partnership agreement with U.S. education technology company Coursera to equip its youth with digital skills sought by employers globally, as Africa’s most populous nation steps up efforts to prepare its workforce for the digital economy.
The initiative, called the Digital Training Academy, is part of the government’s broader push to expand training for digital careers.
The agreement was signed last week in London by Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa on the sidelines of the 2026 World Education Forum.
“Through this programme, young Nigerians will receive world class training in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Software Engineering and other high demand digital fields, while earning globally recognised certifications valued by employers across the world,” Alausa said in a statement posted on social media on Thursday, May 21.
The program will be implemented in partnership with the National Open University of Nigeria and Yaba College of Technology, combining nationwide access with mentoring and support aligned with labor market needs. As part of the initiative, the government has fully funded 36,000 Coursera and Pluralsight licenses for the program’s first year.
The agreement comes days after the announcement of a separate initiative aimed at training 50,000 young people in digital skills. In collaboration with Ericsson, the government had already launched the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon in February 2026, an intensive four-month digital training program targeting 50,000 youth.
Also in February 2026, Young Advocates for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future, a civil society organization focused on sustainable development and inclusion, announced plans to train 15,000 disadvantaged young Nigerians through IBM’s SkillsBuild platform.
The initiatives underscore Nigeria’s push to strengthen digital skills training amid a broader digital shift reshaping the labor market. The World Bank estimates that around 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030. In Nigeria, between 35% and 45% of jobs are expected to require those skills over that period.
As of June 2025, 23% of Nigerians aged between 18 and 35 were unemployed and actively seeking work, according to an Afrobarometer survey. The study also found that 32% of people in that age group had stopped looking for work altogether.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
- Orange Morocco launched new eSports partnerships at Morocco Gaming Expo 2026
- The company introduced a grant programme and sponsored Team xProjekt
- Morocco’s gaming market reached an estimated $227 million in 2024
Orange Morocco unveiled a series of partnerships and initiatives to support the growth of gaming and eSports in the country during the Morocco Gaming Expo 2026, held in Rabat from May 20 to 24. The telecommunications operator is increasing its presence in a rapidly growing sector, driven by rising digital adoption and growing interest among young people in competitive gaming and interactive content.
Among the main announcements was the launch of the “Orange eSport Grant,” developed in partnership with the Royal Moroccan Federation of Electronic Games. The programme will support five eSports associations based outside Casablanca and Rabat, with the objective of helping develop emerging talent across Morocco. Orange Morocco also signed a sponsorship agreement with Team xProjekt, becoming the first telecom operator in the country to officially sponsor a national eSports team. The organization currently has 29 players competing across several disciplines.
The operator also announced initiatives combining digital culture and gaming. The Orange Foundation, alongside journalist Nadia Larguet, introduced a digitized version of the quiz game “1,001 Questions About Morocco,” now integrated into the MaxIt application. Through these projects, the group aims to combine gaming, educational content and mobile services to strengthen engagement among younger users across its digital platforms.
The announcements come as Morocco and the wider North African gaming market continue to expand rapidly. According to SpielFabrique’s State of the African Video Game Industry 2026 report, published in January 2026, Morocco’s gaming revenues reached an estimated $227.3 million in 2024. The country is now considered one of Africa’s fastest-growing video game markets, supported by a young population, the rise of mobile gaming and ongoing improvements in digital infrastructure. The expansion of fibre, 4G and 5G networks is also helping drive growth in online gaming, streaming and eSports competitions.
The new partnerships align with Morocco’s broader ambition to develop a mature national gaming and eSports industry. Authorities increasingly view the sector as a potential driver of the digital economy, creative industries and youth employment. Morocco aims to increase annual video game industry revenues from around $200 million currently to $3 billion by 2030–2032, while capturing nearly 1% of the global gaming market.
Samira Njoya
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Senegal’s National Civil Status Agency (ANEC) and the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) signed a partnership agreement on May 22 in Dakar to modernize and secure civil registry services through nationwide digitalization.
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Senegal had already digitized more than 19 million civil records by 2024 as part of its broader administrative modernization strategy.
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Authorities aim to strengthen public data management, improve citizens’ access to official documents and reduce document fraud through centralized databases and digital platforms.
Senegal has accelerated the digital transformation of its civil registry system as the government pushes forward with broader administrative modernization efforts.
The National Civil Status Agency (ANEC) and the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) signed a partnership agreement in Dakar on Friday, May 22, to modernize and secure civil registry services through nationwide digitalization. Senegal had already digitized more than 19 million civil records by 2024.
The two institutions aim to strengthen administrative data management, improve citizens’ access to official documents and curb document fraud, which continues to affect several administrative procedures across the country.
The partnership includes the gradual digitalization of civil registry procedures, the protection of archives, the modernization of administrative centers and the deployment of digital management tools.
Authorities have already launched several projects, including the creation of a centralized database and the deployment of integrated management software in multiple civil registry centers. In addition, authorities continue to expand the “Sama État civil” platform, which already allows citizens to complete some administrative procedures remotely. The government expects the platform to reduce travel requirements for users and accelerate request processing times.
Meanwhile, the reform comes as several African countries seek to modernize identification systems and civil data management.
According to UNICEF, nearly 150 million children under the age of five worldwide still lack official birth registration, while sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the most affected regions.
In Senegal, challenges linked to birth registration, paper archive preservation and access to administrative documents continue to limit access to certain public services, particularly in rural areas.
Through the reform, Senegalese authorities also seek to improve the reliability of public data as digital administrative services expand.
The government considers civil registry modernization a key component of the country’s national digital strategy. Authorities expect the reform to improve citizen identification, facilitate access to public services and support future projects related to digital identity and broader administrative digitalization.
Samira Njoya
Applications are now open for the Africa HealthTech ExCon Accelerator 2026, a program aimed at supporting early-stage African startups developing healthcare solutions, from telemedicine to AI-driven health technologies. Selected startups will receive practical training, mentorship, and opportunities to connect with global investors, with the broader goal of expanding access to healthcare across Africa.
IT integrator Velmie announced on Monday a partnership with Ivorian ride-hailing startup Flot to launch a digital bank in Africa. The partnership will support the rollout of a mobile banking app offering business accounts, payment cards and money transfer services. Using Velmie’s turnkey technology, the venture aims to reduce development costs while adapting to regulatory requirements across African markets.
MEST technology school opened registration on Monday, May 25, for the second edition of its pan-African AI training program. The free seven-month program, aimed at young developers across the continent, will take place in Ghana. Participants will learn to build advanced AI applications under the guidance of industry experts, while the best projects may receive up to $100,000 in funding. Registration is open here.