Orange (https://www.Orange.com/en) is proud to inaugurate today the Orange Digital Center (ODC) Guinea-Bissau, an ecosystem dedicated to the development of digital skills to promote innovation, strengthen the employability of young people and support local entrepreneurship. The ceremony is taking place in the presence of high-level political authorities, including the Minister of Transport, Telecoms and the Digital Economy, members of Orange Guinea Bissau management team and members of the Orange Africa and Middle East Management Committee.

Orange Digital Center (ODC) is an ecosystem that brings together in a single location a range of free programs open to all. These range from hands-on digital training for young people, to support for project leaders, to start-up acceleration and investment. This initiative marks a significant step forward in Orange’s commitment to digital development and socio-economic inclusion in Guinea-Bissau.

In concrete terms, the center includes a coding school, a “FabLab Solidaire” (a digital production workshop for creating and prototyping), an “Orange Fab” start-up accelerator and benefits from the support of Orange Ventures Africa, the Orange Group’s investment fund, which invests in the most promising start-ups.

Orange Digital Center Bissau is part of a dynamic network of 26 ODCs across Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Operating as a network, Orange Digital Centers enable the exchange of experience and expertise from one country to another, while offering a simple, inclusive approach to boosting the employability of young people, encouraging innovative entrepreneurship and promoting the local digital ecosystem.

Orange Guinea Bissau, in partnership with the universities, will not limit itself to the capital, but plans to train students free of charge and to deploy Orange Digital Center Clubs in certain universities, as extensions of the Orange Digital Center in the regions, notably in the Canchungo region. The aim is to complete the system, giving as many people as possible access to new technologies and helping them to take full advantage of them.

Through this ODC, Orange is committed to realizing its vision of fostering youth employability while supporting sustainable growth and the country’s digital transformation agenda. The program is also designed to promote gender equality and inclusion by easing access to ICT jobs for women and girls.

Beyond the local and societal impact, this initiative responds to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, targeting 6 sustainable development goals: (SDG 4) quality education, (SDG 5) gender equality, (SDG 8) decent work and economic growth, (SDG 9) industry, innovation and infrastructure, (SDG 10) reduced inequality and (SDG 17) partnership to achieve the goals.

Brelotte Ba, Deputy CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, said: “I’m proud to return to Bissau for the inauguration of Guinea-Bissau’s Orange Digital Center, a place where innovation and digital inclusion come to life. This space is much more than just a technology center; it’s a promise of transformation and growth for the digital future of Guinea-Bissau and Africa. By providing free access to cutting-edge resources, we hope to inspire a new generation of creators and leaders and contribute to an inclusive digital economy.”

Sekou Dramé, CEO of Sonatel et Chairman of the Board of Orange Bissau completed : “After Dakar, Bamako, Conakry and Freetown, the inauguration of the Orange Digital Center in Bissau is a crucial step in the Sonatel Group’s commitment to innovation and digital inclusion in Guinea-Bissau. By offering young talents the tools and resources they need to develop their skills, we are helping to create a dynamic and sustainable digital ecosystem. This investment demonstrates our commitment to positively transforming society through technology and digital education.”

Thérèse Nogoye Tounkara, CEO of Orange Guinea Bissau, stated: “Digital transformation makes a strong contribution to achieving sustainable development goals, generating a significant impact. Orange Bissau is firmly committed to being a key player in this transformation in Guinea-Bissau, providing solutions tailored to the entire population.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Orange Middle East and Africa.

OMEA press contacts :
Stella Fumey
stella.fumey@orange.com

Orange Guinea Bissau press contacts:
Djenane Pereira de Jesus
DJENANE PEREIRA DE JESUS
DJENANEPEREIRA.DEJESUS@orange-sonatel.com

About Orange Middle-East and Africa (OMEA):
Orange is present in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East and has 149 million customers at 31 December 2023. With 7.1 billion euros of revenues in 2023, Orange MEA is the first growth area in the Orange group. Orange Money, its flagship mobile-based money transfer and financial services offer is available in 17 countries and has more than 90 million customers. Orange, multi-services operator, key partner of the digital transformation provides its expertise to support the development of new digital services in Africa and the Middle East.

A propos d’Orange Guinée Bissau :
Orange Bissau is a telecommunications operator active in Guinea-Bissau since 2007. A subsidiary of the Sonatel Group, Orange Bissau is the market leader in Guinea-Bissau and offers a range of telecommunications services, including mobile telephony, internet and data services. Orange Bissau is a partner that provides multi-service and digital solutions to contribute to socio-economic development.

Last week, Sierra Leone’s parliament enacted landmark legislation to ban child marriage. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2024, which makes marriage for anyone under 18 a criminal offense, seeks to protect girls from a harmful practice that has long violated their rights and hindered their development.

Child marriage is a serious problem in Sierra Leone, where 30 percent of girls and 4 percent of boys are married before age 18, with even higher rates in rural areas. Around 800,000 girls are currently married in Sierra Leone, half before turning 15.

Child marriages fuel the high adolescent pregnancy rate in Sierra Leone where, tragically, pregnancy complications are the leading cause of death for girls aged 15-19.

The new law prohibits all forms of child marriage and cohabitation with a child, including aiding and abetting, protects the best interests of children, and ensures affected girls have access to counseling and safeguarding. The law amends existing legislation, including the Child Rights and Registration of Customary Marriage Acts, to harmonize the legal framework on marriage and break the cycle of early marriage and its devastating consequences.

The law also builds on Sierra Leone’s efforts to protect young girls from marriage and tackle barriers to girls’ education. A new education law, adopted in 2023, guarantees children 13 years of free education, including one year of preprimary education as well as secondary education. 

The First Lady’s “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign has been instrumental in advocating against child marriage. 

The legislation is a milestone in Sierra Leone’s journey towards gender equality and child protection. It also sets a pathway forward for other African nations, such as Tanzania and Zambia, to revoke laws that permit child marriage, and ensure girls can complete primary and secondary education.

Now, Sierra Leone’s government should raise awareness, particularly in rural areas, about the new law and the harmful effects of child marriage. The government should also address other prevalent harmful practices linked to child marriage, such as female genital mutilation. It should collaborate with local communities, nongovernmental groups, and international organizations to publicly campaign about the harms associated with child marriage, while also providing support services for married children and children at risk of child marriage. 

The government will also need to continue focusing on keeping girls in school, while it develops sustainable economic opportunities and social programs that empower girls and their families. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has signed a joint declaration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to enhance sustainable industrialisation and committed to support the ‘Partenariat pour le coton’ initiative, which seeks to enhance Africa’s role within the global textile and apparel value chains. Aligned with AFC’s commitment to drive Africa’s sustainable development, the declarations were signed at the ongoing Aid-for-Trade Global Review at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

AFC’s work with UNIDO is aimed at advancing sustainable industrialisation in developing economies, with the two institutions focused on catalysing private investment across several sectors while supporting energy access and transition, industrial decarbonisation, and the development of agro-industries through mobilising the knowledge, expertise, and financial resources required to achieve the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Separately, AFC agreed to collaborate with UNIDO, the WTO, the International Trade Centre (ITC), the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) to support the ‘Partenariat pour le coton’. This initiative aims to strategically position African nations – notably Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Côte d’Ivoire – within the global textile and apparel value chains. The partnership will focus on constructing regional hubs for sustainable textiles to boost trade competitiveness and spur economic development within Africa’s cotton sectors. Supported by a joint declaration aligned with the UN SDGs, the initiative is committed to transforming the cotton industry by implementing sustainable practices, creating jobs, empowering women and youth, and enhancing technology and infrastructure.

‘Partenariat pour le coton’ extends AFC’s already significant role in transforming Africa’s textiles industry through investee company ARISE IIP’s Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) in Benin Republic. The GDIZ hosts a textile manufacturing plant that processes locally sourced raw cotton to create finished t-shirts for sale in domestic and international markets. The GDIZ’s ‘Made-in-Benin’ t-shirts now retail at The Children’s Place Store in the US, and it recently exported 80,000 children’s leggings to the French brand Kiabi. This milestone showcases the significant potential of Africa’s textile industry and marks a major step in integrating Benin Republic into the global textiles and clothing market.

AFC’s President&CEO, Samaila Zubairu said: “These joint declarations are a reaffirmation of AFC’s commitment to driving sustainable development in Africa. By partnering with esteemed global organizations such as UNIDO and supporting transformational initiatives like the ‘Partenariat pour le coton,’ we are setting the stage for rapid economic and industrial advancements that will create quality jobs and wealth.”

AFC’s recently published “State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2024” identified significant infrastructure gaps and, correspondingly, immense investment opportunities in key sectors including power, transport, and digital communications.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

Media Enquiries:
Yewande Thorpe
Communications
Africa Finance Corporation
Mobile : +234 1 279 9654
​Email : yewande.thorpe@africafc.org

About AFC: 
AFC was established in 2007 and has been the catalyst for pragmatic infrastructure and industrial investments across Africa. AFC’s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.

Seventeen years on, AFC has developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 43 member countries and has invested US$13 billion across Africa since inception.

www.AfricaFC.org