The company said that it has “stepped up” its e-learning initiatives since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and between March and June, 15 of its subsidiaries offered customers data-free access to select courses.

“Orange wanted to offer a global platform that would meet the specific needs of African populations”

“Orange wanted to offer a global platform that would meet the specific needs of African populations, universities and businesses”, said Alioune Ndiaye, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa.

“We want universities to be able to rely on online training to provide additional training and target more students. Students and professionals will also be able to take these courses on a personal basis and obtain a certification or even a diploma recognised in their country,” he continued.

“It is a big step forward, with the African institutions, which have the potential to positively impact training and thus employment in our countries.”

Among the courses, the platform is currently offering include those from the virtual universities of Tunis and Senegal, the French digital universities UNIT and AUNEGE, the training firm Finafrique and EPITA Graduate School of Computer Science.

“We are proud to contribute to this project, which, like the UVS project, tackles the issue of education for all, combining best practices in digital technology and a new learning experience using ICT,” said Moussa Lo, coordinator of the Virtual University of Senegal.

“It is also a mechanism to continue learning effectively and safely in the unpredictable context of the health crisis, for which the UVS is continuing to mobilise many resources for the benefit of the hard-hit populations.”