Menu

The African Development Bank (AfDB), in partnership with Microsoft Philanthropies – the philanthropic organization of Microsoft Corporation, has launched an all-female coding training programme aimed at equipping African women with the requisite digital skills for the jobs of the future.

The training, officially launched on March 25, is using two Nigerian universities, namely, Covenant University and Gombe State University, as campuses for its pilot phase. About 160 young Nigerian women have enrolled in the one-month coding class.

According to a statement released by the AfDB on Thursday, the training programme is a crash course that will include topics such as introduction to word processing and spreadsheets. It will also have a life skills component where notable role models in technology and digital skills will share their stories and serve as mentors for the trainees. The classes will run in shift sessions to accommodate people who need flexible training times.

The launch ceremony was themed, “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change.” It had in attendance the Vice Chancellor of Covenant University, Professor Aderemi Atayero; Partner Technology Lead at Microsoft, Olatomiwa Williams; Expansion Strategy Manager at Andela, Jackie Ugokwe; and the Co-founder and COO of Piggyvest, Odunayo Eweniyi.

“As in every sector, the participation of women in ICT is important to ensure inclusive development,” said Vanessa Moungar, AfDB’s Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society. “We are committed to addressing the skills gap so that women can fully access opportunities in the digital era.”

Last year, the AfDB, in collaboration with The Rockefeller Foundation, Microsoft and Facebook, launched the Coding for Employment Programme as part of its Jobs for Youth in Africa Initiative. The programme, launched at the African Innovation Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, is expected to create over 9 million jobs and reach 32 million youths and women across Africa.

The programme is being piloted in five countries, namely, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal.