By Ajong Mbapndah L
Cybastion and Liberia’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection have signed an agreement to establish technology and business innovation hubs with childcare centers across Liberia, in an initiative aimed at expanding digital skills, entrepreneurship and economic opportunities for women.
The agreement for the Liberia Women’s Digital and Economic Empowerment Program was signed in New York by Cybastion CEO Dr. Thierry Wandji Ketchiozo and Liberia’s Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Gbeme Horace Kollie, during a Corporate Council on Africa Trade and Investment Roundtable held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Under the initiative, a flagship campus will be established in Monrovia, with four regional sites planned for Voinjama, Gbarnga, Kakata and Buchanan. The hubs will provide women with access to digital skills, entrepreneurship training, mentorship and business development support.
The program is designed to help women strengthen their business management skills, reach new markets, connect with financial services and participate more effectively in wider supply chains.
“Liberian women are a vital force in the country’s economic and social development,” Wandji said. “By bringing digital skills, entrepreneurship support and modern child care together in one place, these technology innovation hubs will create pathways for women to build stronger businesses and participate more fully in Liberia’s digital economy.”
A key component of the initiative will be delivered through Cybastion’s philanthropic organization, Theya Foundation, in partnership with Cisco. The partnership will provide digital skills and entrepreneurship training for women and young people through Cisco Networking Academy.
Francine Katsoudas, Cisco’s Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy and Purpose Officer, joined the signing ceremony and highlighted the potential of the partnership to broaden access to digital skills and entrepreneurship opportunities for Liberian women.
The inclusion of childcare facilities is another central feature of the program. Each of the five planned campuses will include a modern childcare center, enabling mothers with young children to participate in training, mentorship and business development activities while their children are cared for nearby.
The approach seeks to address a practical barrier that can prevent mothers from participating fully in education, skills development and entrepreneurship programs, while bringing business support, technology training and childcare services together at the same locations.
The agreement comes as Liberia places greater emphasis on women’s economic empowerment and participation in national development. Minister Horace Kollie has recently highlighted economic empowerment, social protection and resilience among the broader priorities of the government’s agenda for women.
For Cybastion, the Liberia initiative adds to its growing engagement in Africa around digital transformation, technology capacity and skills development. The company has increasingly coupled technology projects with programs intended to develop local digital capabilities and broaden participation in the digital economy.
The signing also took place against the backdrop of expanding U.S.-Africa commercial and technology engagement. The Corporate Council on Africa, which hosted the Trade and Investment Roundtable, works to strengthen commercial relations between the United States and African countries, with ICT and cybersecurity among its principal program areas.
Once developed, the five hubs are expected to give women entrepreneurs in Monrovia and four regional centers access to a combination of technology training, business development, mentorship and childcare support, creating platforms through which participants can acquire new skills while developing and expanding their businesses
