Youth & Capacity Development
Empowering young people to learn, lead, innovate and shape Africa's digital future.
Africa's greatest digital asset is its people.
With one of the world's youngest populations, West Africa has an extraordinary opportunity to build a generation capable of driving digital innovation, entrepreneurship, public policy and economic transformation.
But having a young population does not automatically create a digital workforce. Young people need access to technology, relevant skills, mentorship, networks, work opportunities, financing, leadership platforms and meaningful participation in the decisions shaping their future.
WAICTANet's Youth & Capacity Development Program is designed to address this wider challenge.
We work to equip young people across Liberia, the Mano River Union and West Africa with the skills, knowledge, confidence, networks and opportunities needed to participate meaningfully in the digital economy and digital society.
From Learners to Leaders
Our ambition goes beyond training. We want young people to progress through a pathway that builds skills, experience, influence and leadership.
Turning Youth Potential Into Opportunity
Africa's youth population represents an enormous source of human capital, but the transition from population growth to economic opportunity requires investment in skills, employment, entrepreneurship and enabling ecosystems.
The challenge is particularly relevant in Liberia, where digital literacy is important to youth employment, entrepreneurship and participation in the digital economy.
Barriers include limited access to computers and reliable Internet in rural areas and insufficient integration of digital skills into education.
An Inclusive Digital Future
A West Africa where every young person has the opportunity to acquire relevant digital skills, access meaningful opportunities, participate in digital governance, build sustainable livelihoods and contribute to an inclusive digital future.
Equipping the Next Generation
To equip young people with the skills, networks, opportunities and leadership platforms needed to thrive in the digital economy and become active contributors to technology, policy and innovation.
From Training to Transformation
WAICTANet aims to measure what happens after training, creating a pathway from access and learning to practice, innovation and leadership.
Access
Connect young people to information, technology, learning opportunities and networks.
Learn
Develop foundational, technical, professional and policy skills.
Practice
Provide practical projects, simulations, challenges and real-world experience.
Connect
Link young people with mentors, employers, entrepreneurs, policymakers and experts.
Create
Support youth-led innovation, research, entrepreneurship and community solutions.
Participate
Create pathways into Internet governance, policy dialogue and civic engagement.
Lead
Develop young people into professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, advocates and digital leaders.
Digital Skills Development
Digital literacy is the foundation, but today's economy requires different levels of capability. WAICTANet develops learning pathways from foundational skills to advanced digital competencies.
Foundational Skills
- Digital literacy
- Internet use
- Online research
- Digital communication
- Digital productivity
- Digital financial literacy
- Information verification
- Online safety
Professional Digital Skills
- Digital marketing
- Content creation
- Data literacy
- Project management
- Remote work
- Digital entrepreneurship
- E-commerce
- Professional communication
Advanced Technology Skills
- Artificial intelligence
- Cybersecurity
- Data governance
- Programming
- Cloud technologies
- Network technologies
- Digital policy
- Emerging technology governance
WAICTANet Academy
The WAICTANet Academy serves as the program's central learning platform, bringing together professional training, digital skills, Internet governance, cybersecurity, AI governance, data governance, entrepreneurship, leadership and policy education.
Youth Internet Governance
Young people should not simply be consulted about the digital future. They should help shape it.
- Liberia IGF
- MRU IGF
- National policy consultations
- Regional Internet governance
- AI policy
- Data governance
- Cybersecurity policy
- Digital rights discussions
- Global digital governance
Youth Leadership & Fellowship
Competitive fellowships for emerging leaders working across technology, policy and innovation.
- Digital policy
- Internet governance
- Cybersecurity
- AI
- Data governance
- Digital rights
- Innovation
- Entrepreneurship
- Digital inclusion
CyberNet Liberia
A dedicated youth pathway within WAICTANet's cybersecurity ecosystem.
- Cybersecurity
- Digital safety
- Ethical technology
- Cyber policy
- Digital rights
- Cyber careers
Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Supporting young people to become creators of digital solutions, not only users of technology.
- Startup development
- Digital entrepreneurship
- Innovation challenges
- Hackathons
- Technology competitions
- Business development
- Digital product development
- Pitch training
- Mentorship
Youth Policy Innovation Labs
Rather than simply teaching young people about policy, participants work on real policy problems and develop practical recommendations.
AI Policy Lab
Examine how Liberia or an MRU country could develop responsible AI governance.
Cybersecurity Policy Lab
Develop recommendations for improving national cyber resilience.
Digital Finance Lab
Examine barriers to inclusive digital financial services.
Data Governance Lab
Develop recommendations around privacy, personal data and digital identity.
Digital Inclusion Lab
Examine why specific communities remain digitally excluded.
From Knowledge to Opportunity
Young people should also become producers of knowledge. WAICTANet can provide opportunities for youth researchers to work on digital policy, AI, cybersecurity, digital rights, digital inclusion, Internet governance, digital finance and emerging technologies.
Training without pathways to opportunity is incomplete. WAICTANet aims to strengthen the connection between skills and economic opportunity.
- Career readiness
- CV & portfolio development
- Professional networking
- Freelancing
- Remote work
- Digital employment
- Internship pathways
- Employer engagement
- Career mentorship
Youth Entrepreneurship & Digital Livelihoods
Not every young person will enter traditional employment. WAICTANet supports young people in developing sustainable digital livelihoods.
Entrepreneurship
- Startup development
- Digital entrepreneurship
- Business development
- Technology consulting
Digital Careers
- Software development
- Digital marketing
- Content creation
- Technology founders
Flexible Livelihoods
- Freelancing
- E-commerce
- Online services
- Digital agriculture
- Fintech innovation
Women & Girls in Digital Leadership
Youth programs must intentionally address gender disparities. WAICTANet will create pathways for young women and girls to participate in digital skills, cybersecurity, AI, entrepreneurship, Internet governance, technology leadership and research.
Rural & Underserved Youth
Digital opportunity should not be concentrated in capital cities. WAICTANet aims to develop approaches for young people in underserved communities through community digital training, mobile learning, local partnerships, ICT centers, online and hybrid learning, local mentors and digital entrepreneurship.
Youth, AI & Digital Safety
AI is changing the skills young people need. WAICTANet will introduce young people to AI literacy, generative AI, responsible AI, prompting and AI productivity, AI entrepreneurship, ethics, governance, AI-assisted research and AI-enabled careers.
The objective is not to train every young person to become an AI engineer. It is to ensure that young people understand how AI is changing work, society, policy and opportunity.
- Cybersecurity
- Online privacy
- Digital identity
- Cyberbullying
- Online harassment
- Scams
- Digital financial fraud
- Misinformation
- AI-generated content
- Responsible social media
Youth Convening & Regional Exchange
WAICTANet's regional platforms create opportunities for young people from different countries to learn from one another and build a regional network.
Youth Summits
Regional gatherings for knowledge exchange, collaboration and leadership.
Policy Dialogues
Spaces for young people to participate in digital policy discussions.
Innovation Challenges
Collaborative opportunities to develop solutions to local and regional challenges.
Youth IGFs
Opportunities for learning, participation and Internet governance leadership.
Cross-Border Mentorship
Connecting young people with mentors and peers across the region.
Study Exchanges
Supporting learning and collaboration between young people across countries.
A Comprehensive Youth Development Ecosystem
Digital Skills
Foundational, professional and advanced digital skills.
WAICTANet Academy
Courses, certifications, fellowships and leadership programmes.
Youth Internet Governance
Training and participation in national, regional and global policy processes.
CyberNet Liberia
Youth cybersecurity, digital safety and leadership.
AI & Emerging Technology
AI literacy, governance and innovation.
Entrepreneurship
Digital business, startup and innovation support.
Employability
Career preparation, internships, remote work and professional pathways.
Policy Labs
Youth-led research and policy problem-solving.
Research
Youth research, publications and knowledge production.
Platforms for Growth & Leadership
WAICTANet Academy
The central learning and professional development platform.
CyberNet Liberia
A youth-focused cybersecurity and digital safety network.
Youth Internet Governance Program
Connecting young people to national, regional and global Internet governance.
Youth Digital Leadership Fellowship
A competitive fellowship for emerging leaders in digital policy, technology and innovation.
Youth Policy Innovation Lab
A practical environment where young people work on real digital policy challenges.
Youth Innovation & Startup Challenge
A platform for young innovators to develop technology-based solutions to local and regional challenges.
WAICTANet Digital Passport
Instead of issuing only a certificate after a training programme, every participant builds a digital record of their development.
Track Growth Beyond Certificates
The passport can document the participant's learning, experience, research, leadership and community impact.
- Courses completed
- Skills acquired
- Certifications
- Projects completed
- Policy contributions
- Hackathons
- Research publications
- Volunteer experience
- Mentorship
- Leadership activities
- Community impact
From Learning to Leadership
WAICTANet builds a pathway that connects learning to opportunity and long-term leadership.
Giving Young People a Voice
The Youth Advisory Council advises on programme design, identifies emerging youth priorities, reviews training curricula, supports youth engagement, contributes to policy discussions, represents youth perspectives and participates in regional forums.
Staying Connected Beyond the Programme
Every participant will have an opportunity to remain connected after completing a programme through mentorship, job opportunities, fellowships, scholarships, regional events, research, volunteering and leadership roles.
Liberia → Mano River Union → West Africa
Liberia
Building a strong national pipeline of digitally skilled and policy-aware young people.
Mano River Union
Liberia | Sierra Leone | Guinea | Côte d'Ivoire
Creating regional learning, exchange and leadership
opportunities.
West Africa
Connecting young people to wider regional platforms and digital policy processes.
Know. Skill. Create. Connect. Participate. Lead. Multiply.
Beyond Counting Participants
WAICTANet will measure the outcomes and opportunities created through its youth development programmes.
Reach
- Young people engaged
- Countries reached
- Rural communities reached
- Women and girls participating
Learning
- Courses completed
- Certifications
- Skills improvement
- Knowledge gains
Experience
- Projects completed
- Hackathons
- Research outputs
- Policy contributions
Opportunity
- Internships
- Employment pathways
- Entrepreneurship
- Freelancing
- Remote work
Leadership
- Fellows
- Youth speakers
- Mentors
- Policy participants
Building a Youth Knowledge Ecosystem
The Youth & Capacity Development programme can generate its own knowledge ecosystem, documenting experiences, research and lessons that contribute to digital policy and youth development.
- Youth Digital Skills Reports
- Youth Internet Governance Reports
- Youth Policy Papers
- Digital Employment Research
- Youth Innovation Case Studies
- AI & Youth Reports
- Cybersecurity Awareness Research
- Digital Inclusion Assessments
- Training Toolkits
- Fellowship Research
- Alumni Impact Stories
Partner With Us
WAICTANet welcomes partnerships with organizations seeking to invest in Africa's next generation of digital leaders.
Young people should not simply inherit the digital future. They should have the skills, opportunities and voice to shape it.
WAICTANet is committed to developing young people who can Learn. Create. Work. Participate. Lead. Our goal is to develop a generation capable of building businesses, solving problems, shaping policy, protecting digital spaces and leading Africa's digital transformation.
