Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 50 | Page 42

COUNTRY FOCUS : ETHIOPIA
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ( GIZ ), Orange and the Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology , the Ethiopian Investment Commission and the Industrial Parks Development Corporation , recently announced the launch of the Addis Ababa Orange Digital Centre , an initiatives that aims to raise digital skills in the East African country .

GIZ and Orange launch in Ethiopia

Panorama of the capital city of Ethiopia ,
Addis Ababa

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ( GIZ ), Orange and the Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology , the Ethiopian Investment Commission and the Industrial Parks Development Corporation have launched the Addis Ababa Orange Digital Centre , an ecosystem that is entirely dedicated to digital skills and innovation .

The launch took place in the presence of HE Dr Abraham Belay , Minister of Innovation and Technology , HE Lelise Neme , Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission , HE Sandokan Debebe , CEO , Industrial Parks Development Corporation , Alioune Ndiaye , CEO , Orange Middle East and Africa ( MEA ), Peter Palesch , GIZ Country Director , HE Stephan Auer , German Ambassador to Ethiopia and HE Rémi Maréchaux , French Ambassador to Ethiopia .
Following launches in Tunisia and Senegal , Ethiopia will be home to the third Orange Digital Centre in MEA . Occupying a space of 500 square metres , it is the first centre in East Africa that will operate as a strategic network , allowing experiences and expertise to be shared between countries and offering a simple and inclusive approach to strengthen the employability of young people , to encourage innovative entrepreneurship and to promote the local digital ecosystem .
The purpose of Orange Digital Centres is to bring together several strategic programmes under the same roof : a coding school , a ‘ FabLab Solidaire ’, a start-up
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