The Sahel project, which aims to overcome the digital divide in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria, debuted in 2021.

The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), which connects humanitarian workers in conflict-affected countries, is pleased with the progress made in bridging the digital divide in the Sahel during the past year.

The Sahel region is one of the most violent in the world due to Islamist groups, which has had a negative impact on telecommunications infrastructure, making it difficult for humanitarians to help.

Jay Mahanand, the ETC's chief information officer, recently presented the ETC Annual Report (2024), highlighting the region as one in which the ETC has made success.

"I am also excited to see the tremendous efforts of the ETC to address the digital divide and improve the resilience of affected communities in the Sahel," Mahanand told the press.

In 2021, the Sahel project was launched in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria. The Multimedia Centre in Dori, Burkina Faso, is the most recent, having opened in 2024.

According to Mahanand, in 2024, the ETC services centres in Diffa, Niger, and Dori, Burkina Faso, will deliver crucial digital services, training opportunities, and resources to over 3,302 users from host communities, internally displaced people , and refugees.

WiFi hotspots and cybercafés are the most popular services in both of the deployed sites.

“I am pleased to see ETC expanding its provision of not only ICT services to local communities, but also ways to access learning materials, practice new skills and communicate worldwide,” Mahanand said.

Overall, in 2024, ETC connected 10, 542 humanitarian users from 145 organisations, attaining a 90% overall satisfaction score with its services and activities.