The 2020 edition of the Bénin Digital Tour was officially launched on Saturday 14 November 2020 at CEG Albarika in Parakou by the Minister of Digital Affairs and Digitalisation.
On Saturday 14 November 2020, the Minister of Digital Affairs and Digitalisation, Aurelie ADAM SOULE ZOUMAROU, officially launched the 2020 edition of the “Bénin Digital Tour”. The event took place at CEG Albarika in Parakou in the presence of the representative of the Prefect of Borgou and the Mayor of the city.
The Bénin Digital Tour is a roadshow raising awareness of and providing training in the use of digital services for secondary and primary school pupils, artisans and traders. Following the first edition, which ended on 10 February 2019, this second edition, which brings many innovations, starts on Saturday 14 November 2020 and will run until 31 December 2020.
In his welcome address, the Mayor of the municipality of Parakou, Mr Inoussa Chabi Zimé, praised the various advances in Benin’s digital sector, in particular the digitisation of public services, which brings the administration closer to the people. The Secretary General of the Borgou Prefecture, Mr Sanni Bio BAYE, said that the Bénin Digital Tour is a great opportunity for the target audience to get trained so as not to be left behind by the changes the world is undergoing today.
Initiated by the Beninese Agency for Universal Service in Electronic Communications and Postal Services (ABSU-CEP), the Bénin Digital Tour is dedicated to digital inclusion and sets out to support this government ambition. In practical terms, it is a travelling training programme on the use of ICT tools and the production of local content through exchanges, discussions and workshops on web tools. For Mr Emile KOUGBADI, Director General of ABSU-CEP, the Bénin Digital Tour responds to the Government’s policy of making Benin the digital services platform of West Africa.
After briefly recalling the important place the Government gives to digital technology in its action programme, Minister Aurelie ADAM SOULE ZOUMAROU spoke directly to the pupils to encourage them to sign up for the Bénin Digital Tour and get trained. “Digital technology represents a tremendous opportunity for the development of our nation, besides the challenges it poses to the citizens of today and tomorrow in terms of skills,” she said. According to the Minister, the Bénin Digital Tour is part of the implementation of one of the flagship projects of the Government Action Programme (PAG 2016-2021) of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Patrice Talon. Its content is fully consistent with pillar 2, axis 4 and action 10 of the PAG, entitled “Using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a catalyst for economic dynamism and modernisation”.
The training modules to be delivered this year will cover a wide range of topics, including:
- The web and communication;
- Computer essentials;
- Word processing;
- Introduction to social media;
- Online commerce (e-commerce);
- Digital entrepreneurship;
- Online resources for education;
- Government e-services.
These training sessions will take place in municipalities with Community Digital Points (PNC) and in educational institutions that have benefited from Digital Rooms installed and equipped by the Government. In schools, training schedules will be drawn up in line with normal timetables. The protective measures prescribed by the Government to combat Covid-19 will also be observed.