Rinchi
TechInAfrica – Orange inaugurated its new Digital Center in Dakar, Senegal yesterday as part of its dedication to innovation in the country. The inauguration event of Orange Digital Center was attended by several government representatives and other stakeholders, including Ndèye Tické Ndiaye Diop, Minister for the Digital Economy and Telecommunications; Mr Dame Diop, Minister for Employment, Professional Training and Craftsmanship; Mr Alioune Ndiaye, CEO of Orange Africa and Middle-East; Ms Christine Albanel, Head of CSR, Diversity, Partnerships and Philanthropy for Orange, Deputy Chair of the Orange Foundation and former Minister; and Mr Sékou Dramé, CEO of Sonatel.
Having previously opened in Tunisia, Senegal will be the second home to have Orange Digital Center in Africa and the Middle East. The Center consists of six floors with a surface area of 2,000 m2 and is claimed to be the first of its kind in the West Africa region. It will be a network for innovators and entrepreneurs to share their experiences and expertise in the local digital ecosystem.
The Digital Center was built with the purpose to unite several strategic programs, including coding school, Solidarity FabLab, Orange Fab and Orange Digital Ventures Africa, the Group’s investment fund. All the programs are free to access, including digital training for youth, startup acceleration, as well as guidance for project owners and investments in the projects.
“I am very proud to open the second Orange Digital Center in Dakar, after the one in Tunis. As the main contributor to the digital ecosystem in Senegal, Sonatel supports the emergence of a creative and flourishing ecosystem that provides digital players with the opportunity to imagine ways to create and prosper. These new spaces are dedicated not only to students, young people with and without diplomas and young people changing careers but also to entrepreneurs reflecting the ambition to promote a strong and innovative digital economy for the country’s socio-economic development,” said Sékou Dramé, CEO of Sonatel.
Speaking for his part, CEO of Orange Africa and the Middle East, Alioune Ndiaye added, “We are working in close collaboration with all the stakeholders, including governments and academics, to strengthen the employability of young Africans and to encourage them to run businesses and to innovate in their countries. Our ambition is to deploy this initiative outside Africa, from the south to the north, by opening Orange Digital Centers in France and Europe. For the moment, Côte d’Ivoire, Jordan and Cameroon will follow in the next few months and in 2020 Morocco and Egypt then all the countries in the Africa and Middle-East zone will have their own Orange Digital Center.”
Source: Orange.com
