Mali's Minister of Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Vocational Training, Oumou Sall Seck, recently visited the premises of the Second Project for Vocational Training, Insertion, and Support for Rural Youth Entrepreneurship (FIER II). The visit was combined with a ceremony to hand over computer equipment to services attached to her department and to regional councils. The ceremony was attended by the national coordinator of FIER II, Lamine Diassana, technical and financial partners of the project, and heads of beneficiary structures.
The equipment, valued at 114 million Fcfa, includes 31 laptops, 53 desktop computers, 21 photocopiers, 31 black and white multifunction printers, 35 color multifunction printers, 32 tablets, 64 UPS units, a server, and a video projector. According to Minister Oumou Sall Seck, this donation is in response to the needs expressed by various structures following a diagnosis. The goal is to improve working conditions, management, and information circulation, as well as file processing.
Minister Oumou Sall Seck emphasized that the success of the operation will not be measured by the number of equipment distributed but by their utilization and the results obtained. She invited the heads of beneficiary structures to ensure their effective use, conservation, maintenance, and security. The minister stressed that the aim is not simply to replace old equipment or fill material gaps but to progressively evolve work methods, seeking greater efficiency, speed, coordination, and dematerialization where possible.
The minister also highlighted the territorial dimension of the operation, stating that capacity building should benefit both central structures and regional services and councils. This approach aims to bring services closer to the population and better respond to territorial realities. FIER II, a collaboration between the government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), targets 60,000 young people in several regions of the country.
To achieve this objective, Minister Oumou Sall Seck noted that it is not enough to directly support young people; it is also necessary to strengthen the institutions that accompany them. She recalled that project financing is one of the main components of FIER II, with nearly 25 billion Fcfa mobilized during the first phase to support the initiatives of young rural people. The project works with banks, microfinance institutions, local authorities, and other partners.
The minister stressed the importance of vocational training, apprenticeship, and entrepreneurship creation, according to promising professions and economic opportunities in the territories. This approach aims to offer perspectives to young people without employment, out-of-school youth, and those deprived of access to education due to insecurity. The handover of equipment represents a starting point, with the minister concluding that investments must now be made in their utilization, maintenance, and especially in the results they should enable.
The project FIER II and the equipment handover reflect the ongoing efforts to support youth entrepreneurship and vocational training in Mali, amid broader national initiatives to enhance employment and economic opportunities.
Key points
- The Malian government, through the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Vocational Training, has invested 114 million Fcfa in new computer equipment for various institutions.
