The Use of New Technologies by Youth in Cote d’ivoire

Overview & Synopsis

Cote d'Ivoire, characterized by rapid population growth and a predominantly young population, aims to make digital technology a driver of its economic and social development. National strategies such as the National Development Plan (PND) 2021-2025, the National Digital Development Strategy of Côte d'Ivoire (SNNCI) 2021-2025, and the National Strategy for the Digitalization of Education in Côte d'Ivoire (SNDECI) 2024-2028 highlight the importance of digital skills for employability and entrepreneurship. However, there is a lack of accurate information on the level of digital skills among young people and a benchmark for measuring these skills. This study, funded by the Mastercard Foundation, aims to fill this gap by providing an overview of the level of digital skills and the ownership or access to technological tools among young beneficiaries of the Youth Employment and Skills Development Project, Phase 3 (PEJEDEC 3). The study used two data collection tools: the Pix tool for an objective assessment of digital skills and a questionnaire administered to young people to gather sociodemographic information, information on access to digital technology, and information on employment. Data collection was carried out by Stat'Innov Développement (SInDev) among a sample of 1,429 young people, with an identification rate of 95.8% and a participation rate of 93.8 percent. A rigorous data cleansing process was put in place, including real-time quality control and cross-checking.