Inside Mali’s plan to wire every classroom by 2026 🌐🇲🇱

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Mali is taking a decisive step toward digitizing its education system. Two agreements, signed on July 22 in Bamako, bring together the Universal Access Fund Management Agency (AGEFAU), the Ministry of National Education, and the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Vocational Training. Set for a renewable four-year term, the deals aim to get Malian schools online and build up young people’s digital skills.

Money for school connectivity 💰

The first agreement, signed with the Ministry of National Education, covers the creation and equipping of universal access centers and Wi-Fi hubs — infrastructure meant to widen internet access in public schools. It also includes computer equipment for top-performing students.

These new agreements build on AGEFAU’s existing track record in education: according to its director general, Balobo Cissé, the agency has reportedly mobilized more than 17 billion CFA francs since its founding to build and equip universal access centers.

Vocational training goes digital 💻

The second agreement, with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Vocational Training, covers building or renovating training facilities and running digital skills programs. It’s aimed primarily at graduates, job seekers, and people changing careers, giving them the digital tools they’ll need in an increasingly digitized job market.

Secondary and technical schools first 🎓

The schools targeted by both agreements are secondary, technical, and vocational institutions. AGEFAU plans to connect all of them by the end of 2026 — an ambitious timeline that reflects a clear priority: getting young Malians digital skills early, rather than waiting until higher education.

Internet access still has a long way to go 📶

These new investments come as Mali’s actual internet access remains limited. According to DataReportal, the country had 8.91 million internet users at the end of 2025 — a penetration rate of just 35.1%, far behind the 91.6% mobile connection rate, which covered 23.2 million connections. That gap between phone ownership and real internet use points to how far Mali still has to go to turn connectivity into everyday digital access. It’s exactly that gap the new school infrastructure is meant to close.

Betting on tech to fight unemployment 🚀

Behind the education push lies a bigger economic stake: cutting youth unemployment. By wiring its schools and building digital skills across its workforce, Mali is betting on technology as a driver of employability and entrepreneurship. It’s a strategy that could turn Malian schools into genuine launchpads for digital careers — provided internet access keeps up beyond the school gates.

Do you think connecting schools to the internet is enough to bring down youth unemployment in Africa? Let us know in the comments.