Ethiopia, 13 September 2025 – The Somali Regional State has launched the elaborate Coders Programme to assist more Somali students aquire digital and innovation skills.
According to the regional government's Technology Innovation Office, this year's Ethio Coders Programne aims to benefit 124,190 students, an increase from last year’s target of 100,000.
"In terms of the number of beneficiaries, we have exceeded the previous year's target. This year, we aim to reach 124,190" said Mohamoud Hussein, the Deputy Minister of Technology Innovation.
The program will benefit state employees, secondary school students, university students, and other youths in the region.
The launch; held on Fiday in Jigjiga, was attended by local officials, including those from the technology, health, women, and youth sectors.
The event focused on raising awareness among the youth about the benefits of the programme.
Ethio Coders Programme is a collaboration between the governments of Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aimed at boosting digital skills among the youth in the regional states.
The program aims to train 5 million youths, across Ethiopia's cities and rural areas, on skills such as web development, android application development, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI) by 2026.
Half of the beneficiaries this year will be women, part of the Ethiopian government's efforts to empower more women with digital skills.
The programme is funded by the UAE government and supported by various international companies including Google, Meta, and Boeing.