As part of the 4Afrika Initiative Microsoft East Africa has signed a collaborative agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to train and mentor some 200,000 entrepreneurs in Ethiopia.

4Afrika is a Microsoft driven initiative that aims to accelerate Africa’s economic development and improve its global competitiveness by empowering local entrepreneurs.

According to a statement Microsoft's partnership agreement with the UNDP is expected to include a ‘Build Your Own Business’ training, which is designed to help micro and small businesses.

Commenting about the agreement, the resident representative Eugene Owusu said, “The goods and services offered by Microsoft provides a unique opportunity to unleash the potential of young and budding entrepreneurs."

"This will help them to play a vital role in the economic growth and transformational development of Ethiopia,” he said.

In the statement it was also revealed that the partnership agreement plans to focus on addressing some of the principal challenges faced in building resilient nations, empowering citizens and preparing them to join a dynamic and innovative 21st century workforce.

Eric Odipo, country manager of Microsoft East and southern Africa stated, “It is critical to develop the capacity, knowledge and skills of local entrepreneurs who will stimulate local economies. We look forward to working with the UNDP in taking innovative business models to scale.”