Expertise France reported yesterday the launch of a new digitalisation project: “Raqameyon”.
The new project, funded by France, will support the digital transformation in Libya by contributing to the diversification of the job market, with a focus on the digital economy.
The one-year project aims to support the creation of employment opportunities in the digital sector by disseminating digital skills and supporting the development of local digital capacity[1]development programs across Libya.
The project will be implemented in partnership with Libya’s General Information Authority (GIA), the Ministry of Education, several Chambers of Commerce, local CSOs, and several public schools from different Libyan regions. The main activities of the project will include:
- Building the capacity of selected CSOs and private training companies to provide inclusive basic digital boot camps for public and private sector employees.
- Supporting the Ministry of Education to implement digital training in Libyan schools. This will include the design and implementation of a customized digital curriculum.
- Providing digital skills training for tech start-ups, entrepreneurs, and SMEs after assessing their needs.
- Training of existing digital professionals on in-demand and advanced tech topics such as AI, data science, and Power BI.
Commenting on the new project, Abdul Basit Al-Baour, Chairman of the General Information Authority in Libya said “The General Information Authority works to support digital transformation in Libya at several levels, including developing a comprehensive national strategy for digital transformation in the country. This strategy will only be feasible to implement on the ground if the digital culture is spread in the educational and work environments, the capabilities of public and private sector employees are raised, and the level of training provided to young people interested in technology is improved in Libya. The Raqameyon project will contribute to enhancing our future vision and is considered a positive step in achieving our goals.”
Mostafa Mihraje, Ambassador of France in Libya, said: “The world is facing increasingly complex and interconnected challenges. New digital technologies are among them. The synergies we have built with our Libyan partners have allowed us to accelerate digitalization efforts, which in turn supports economic growth, creates more jobs, and allows for better use of resources. France is honoured to continue supporting Libya’s digital transition through the Raqameyon project, which focuses on capacity building to equip Libyan youth with tools that will effectively harness their talents and help them become key drivers of Libya’s digital economy.”
Expertise France explained that this new project came as a continuation of its predecessor project, “Raqam-e”, also funded by France and implemented by Expertise France. During its two years of implementation, the Raqam-e project engaged a large community of technology enthusiasts and successfully organized many digital boot camps and hackathons. The establishment of coding academies in four municipalities was one of the major steps Raqam-e project implemented to spread digital and coding cultures in Libya.
“We’re very grateful for having the opportunity to consolidate our collaboration with our Libyan partners around the two key topics of digitalization and capacities building. Raqameyon represents our commitment, with the support of the French government, to mobilize the most appropriate national and international expertise to facilitate the Libyan digital transition.” said Julien Schmitt, Country Representative and Programs Director at Expertise France in Libya. “This initiative is fully integrated into the broader collaboration we have been developing for many years in order to facilitate the development of skills and employability in the country’s public and private sectors.’’
Expertise France said through the Raqameyon project, the French government and Expertise France are committed to continuing to work with Libyan partners to build digital skills and diversify the job market. In parallel with Raqameyon, Expertise France said it is also working with key economic institutions to design a national digitalization strategy led by the EU-funded E-NABLE project to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable digital transformation of all services provided by public and private sectors in Libya.
