Freetown, 2nd February 2026- Young innovators in Sierra Leone and The Gambia are set to benefit from improved digital connectivity following a new partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Africell.
The collaboration will equip UNDP’s timbuktoo University Innovation Pods (UniPods) with high‑speed internet, 4G MiFi devices, and Internet of Things (IoT) tools, giving students and entrepreneurs the resources to design, test, and scale solutions to pressing local and global challenges.
Africell Group CEO and President of the Africell Impact Foundation, Ziad Dalloul, said the partnership combines Africell’s expertise in connectivity with UNDP’s innovation network. “By equipping the UniPods in Sierra Leone and The Gambia with Africell’s signature internet services, we are investing in young Africans and helping to turn raw talent into successful enterprise,” he noted.
Beyond connectivity, the two organizations will collaborate on accelerator programmes aimed at expanding participation in the UniPods and deepening their long‑term social impact. These initiatives will build on Africell’s existing robotics, entrepreneurship, and digital skills training delivered through its learning centres across West Africa.
UNDP officials say the agreement underscores the agency’s commitment to strengthening Africa’s home‑grown innovation ecosystem under its timbuktoo initiative. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant UN Secretary‑General and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, emphasized the importance of digital inclusion: “This partnership expands digital access and gives young innovators the connectivity they need to turn ideas into impactful solutions. When we invest in young people’s talents and remove barriers to opportunity, we accelerate Africa’s path to competitiveness and inclusive growth.”
The UniPods, located in public universities, serve as high‑tech maker spaces designed to equip young people with the tools and skills to transform ideas into market‑ready solutions. They form part of UNDP’s wider timbuktoo programme, which also includes Policy Labs and thematic industry hubs across Africa, all aimed at boosting investment in African founders and startups.
