Education & Training

TgMaster University is a new and innovative training offer in Côte d'Ivoire, proposed by TgMaster group, an Ivorian company created in 2013. Tg Master specializes in training students in relevant subject matter areas and supporting those wishing to access business school education in Europe through private tutoring, coaching, and mentoring services to enable them to take certified international tests in support of their applications. Since 2013, TgMaster has accompanied more than 700 young people and has inserted 300 young people in its partner schools in Côte d'Ivoire and abroad.

Building on its experience, this pioneering university welcomed its first students in October 2021 and offers courses in the field of digital and management, on-campus in Abidjan, and soon in delocalized branches throughout Côte d'Ivoire.

The university is supported by renowned academic partners, including business schools based in France (Media School Group and Audencia Business School).

TgMaster University aims to improve the employability of young people in Côte d'Ivoire by developing their skills and abilities and by anticipating the needs of tomorrow.

THE  ENTREPRENEURS

Born and raised in Ivory Coast, Achille KOUKOU, is a trained engineer . He graduated from the prestigious Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Yamoussoukro and from a French business school, EM Lyon. He has held various positions in France in financial companies such as Mazars, the Banque Postale, BNP Paribas...

Passionate about education and the issue of employability of African youth, Achille also launched and managed an incubator in Abidjan (5K Startups Hub), founded a training and insertion company for vulnerable youth (Actinobis), before devoting himself to the development of TgMaster University.

A telecom and network engineer from Ivory Coast, Léonce Ano is also a graduate of the prestigious Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Yamoussoukro and of the IESE Business School in Barcelona. He has various experiences in different countries : Spain, the United Kingdom, Kenya. He has a certain experience in the field of education, he held the position of secretary-general and teacher at the MDE Business School in Abidjan. He also contributed with Achille to the launch of 5K Startups Hub and Actinobis. Currently a Ph.D. student in Barcelona, he is preparing a thesis on artificial intelligence and business management and, simultaneously, plans his return to Côte d'Ivoire to take part in the university’s management.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

Through its I&P Education to Employment* program, I&P has committed to working alongside TgMaster University to :

⇒ Support the launch of the university, the training of its management, and the establishment of a quality learning environment

⇒ Support the university's digitalization strategy, through the construction of a blended learning program (face-to-face and distance learning)

⇒ Support the expansion of the university in the regions of Côte d'Ivoire through the installation of connection points in several cities

⇒ Support the establishment of a scholarship program, particularly targeting young women from disadvantaged backgrounds, and ensure sustainable funding

⇒ Etablish policies and practices to protect learners on campus

EXPECTED IMPACTS 

⇒ Strengthen the attractiveness of the quality educational offer in Côte d'Ivoire, in partnership with international schools

⇒ Strengthen the local employability of young people and encourage the return to Côte d'Ivoire for students who have gone abroad.

⇒ Enable young people, women, and vulnerable populations to access training that meets the needs of the Ivorian job market.

A COMPANY SUPPORTED BY THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN I&P AND MASTERCARD FOUNDATION

Since February 2021, I&P has partnered with Mastercard Foundation in its I&P Education to Employment initiative, a joint financing program aimed at improving access to relevant and quality education on the African continent.

The partnership between I&P Education to Employment and Mastercard Foundation specifically aims to support 30 education entrepreneurs in 3 target countries (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal) over 3 years. The partner companies will receive funding and technical assistance to support them in their digital transformation, resilience, and growth strategy as well as in the implementation of social inclusion and employability measurement mechanisms.

Read more about the project

https://univ.tgmaster.com/

Learn more about the I&P Education to Employment program

Founded by Elliot Agyare, in 1996, Smartline Publisher is a Ghanaian book publishing company that also offers other services including publishing services, educational resource services, supply, and library consulting.

It offers a variety of genres such as picture books, textbooks for junior high school, senior high school, and tertiary, biographies, fiction, and non-fiction.

With over 1.5 million units sold, 350 titles published, a network of 120 secondary schools across the country, and displays on renowned e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Amazon Kindle Store, BookNook, Jumia, African Books Collective, etc.), Smartline is well on its way to achieving its ambition of becoming a leading publishing house on the continent.

The Entrepreneur

Elliot Agyare is regarded as one of the most respected publishers in Ghana and on the African Continent. He has served twice as the President of the Ghana Book Publishers Association and is currently the President of the Commonwealth Book Publishers Association. He was a lead facilitator of the Association for the Development of Education and African Union workshop on National Reading Policies in Nairobi, Kenya in 2018 and Kigali, Rwanda in 2019. He was a presenter at the Sharjah Book Fair in 2019 and spoke at the World Bank in Washington on procurement for books. Elliot is also a board member of the University Press and Vice Chair of the board of the Ghana Book Trust. He has always been involved in advocating for the industry and has led publishing industry engagements with various past governments on policy issues regarding the industry and literacy. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, and an MA in International Studies from the University of Salford, UK.

Partnership with I&P  

Through its I&P Education to Employment program, I&P has committed to Smartline Publisher to:  

⇒ Support the digitization strategy through equipment acquisition to support the production of e-books;

⇒ Publish textbooks adapted to the local needs, in collaboration with teachers and students;

⇒ Conduct research to ascertain the supply coverage of some textbooks in SHS, TVET and Tertiary schools in rural and urban areas and to assess the comprehension level of students to develop the offer accordingly;

⇒ Improve its practices for gender and diversity inclusion in its publications.

Expected impacts 

⇒ Improving Ghana's quality of education

⇒ Increasing education accessibility in rural and urban areas

A company supported by the partnership between I&P and Mastercard Foundation 

Since February 2021, I&P has partnered with Mastercard Foundation through its I&P Education to Employment initiative, a finance program aimed at improving access to relevant and quality education on the African continent.

The partnership between I&P Education to Employment and Mastercard Foundation specifically aims to support 30 education entrepreneurs in 3 target countries (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal) over 3 years. The partner companies receive funding and technical assistance to support them in their digital transformation, resilience, and growth strategy as well as in the implementation of social inclusion and employability measurement mechanisms.

Read more about 

Read Elliot Agyare's portrait

Smartline Publisher website

I&P Education to Employment

The Université des Lagunes is a private institution of higher learning located in Abidjan and founded in 2010 by the Centre International pour le Développement du Droit (CIDD), an Ivorian association made up of legal system members (magistrates, lawyers, notaries, etc.).

Initially composed of a faculty of law, the university diversified in 2014 with the opening of a faculty of economics, and in 2020 a faculty of mathematics.

UDL's ambition is to "serve Côte d'Ivoire and Africa by achieving high international standards in teaching and research. By cultivating personal and professional growth, UDL intends to train highly qualified professionals to become leaders in their respective fields."

The entrepreneur

Created in 1993 by Ivorian law professionals the Association Ivoirienne pour le Développement du Droit (CIDD) was created to promote the development of Ivorian legislation.

In 2008, the association became Centre International pour le Développement du Droit (CIDD) to reflect the range of activities, such as training and research. Later on, the Université des Lagunes was founded as link between African values and traditions and the universal values of the legal system to strengthen Ivorian and African law.

Partnership with I&P  

Through its I&P Education and Employment program, I&P has committed to Université des Lagunes to:

        ⇒ Reinforce their digital readiness by training teachers and acquiring modern equipment and content;

        ⇒ Promote digitization by facilitating student's computer acquisition through a revolving fund;

        ⇒ Train the in charge of career service personnel to implement good practices in employability and graduate’s follow-up; 

        ⇒ Evaluate the alumni employability and strengthen the network;

        ⇒ Implement learner protection policies and practices on campus.

Expected impacts 

        ⇒ Improvement of the quality of training by strengthening the infrastructure and IT tools;

        ⇒ Improvement of the learning environment by strengthening the digitalization strategy;

        ⇒ Improvement of the graduate's employability by strengthening the activities and staffing of career services, in line with local labor market needs.

A company supported by the partnership between I&P and Mastercard Foundation 

Since February 2021, I&P has partnered with Mastercard Foundation through its I&P Education to Employment initiative, a finance program aimed at improving access to relevant and quality education on the African continent.

The partnership between I&P Education to Employment and Mastercard Foundation specifically aims to support 30 education entrepreneurs in 3 target countries (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal) over 3 years. The partner companies receive funding and technical assistance to support them in their digital transformation, resilience, and growth strategy as well as in the implementation of social inclusion and employability measurement mechanisms.

Read more about the I&P Education to Employment program I&P Education to  Employment

Université des Lagunes website

Ecole Supérieure de Technologie et de Management (ESTM) is a Senegalese higher education institution founded in 2001 and based in Dakar.

ESTM provides initial training in the field of new technologies including telecommunications, computer systems security, electronic payments and secure transactions, etc.

It also provides certification training: Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate Project Management Professional (CAPMP), and Cisco Certified Network Associate.

A distance learning offer is also available.

ESTM's ambition is to train responsible and enterprising professionals in line with the most advanced technologies and innovations.

With over 6000 graduates and more than 45 academic, academic, and business partnerships, ESTM has an employment rate close to 90%.

The Entrepreneur

Head of ESTM, Ousmane DIENE, is a computer engineer by training. He has worked for many years for the Cheick Anta Diop University IT department. In 2001, he founded the ESTM, with the support of university professors.

Partnership with I&P  

Through its I&P Education and Employment program, I&P has committed to ESTM to:

⇒ Improve the quality of its training by creating new labs for the Multimedia and Renewable Energies programs and reinforcing the current facilities;

⇒ Support the digitalization strategy through the development of an e-learning platform and renovating its computer room;

⇒  The strengthening of their incubator;

⇒  Support the implementation of a scholarship program, especially for young women, and ensure sustainable funding;

⇒  Implement policies and practices to protect learners on campus.

Expected impacts 

⇒ Improving the learning environment by upgrading labs and the strengthening of the school's digitalization strategy

⇒ Increasing the employability of young people with the relaunch of the incubator activities, aligned with the job market expectations;

⇒ Improving social inclusion, especially for young women;

⇒ Improved student protection through the implementation of a formal Safegarding policy;

A company supported by the partnership between I&P and Mastercard Foundation

Since February 2021, I&P has partnered with Mastercard Foundation through its I&P Education to Employment initiative, a finance program aimed at improving access to relevant and quality education on the African continent. 

The partnership between I&P Education to Employment and Mastercard Foundation specifically aims to support 30 education entrepreneurs in 3 target countries (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal) over 3 years. The partner companies receive funding and technical assistance to support them in their digital transformation, resilience, and growth strategy as well as in the implementation of social inclusion and employability measurement mechanisms. 

Read more about the I&P Education to Employment program 

ESTM website 

The Central Chaare-Tsedek University (UCC) is a university offering courses in law, economics, literature and humanities in Daloa, in west-central Côte d'Ivoire. This year, the university welcomed more than 137 students enrolled in 3 university faculties.

The entrepreneur

The university was founded by Franck Emmanuel Bleu in 2020.

With a Master's degree in Finance from the University of Bouaké, this entrepreneur worked as a financial engineer in SMEs in Côte d'Ivoire for 6 years before switching to teaching. He is a teacher-researcher in finance and risk management at private higher education institutions in the country and is also actively involved in several projects to create universities and grandes écoles. He has a solid experience and proven skills in the higher education sector. 

Partnership with I&P

UCC is supported by I&P through the education and employment component of I&P Acceleration in Sahel program.

The funding and support provided to UCC aims at :

• Fitting out and equipping classrooms adapted to e-learning courses
• Acquire equipment for a multimedia room
• Acquire a digital ERP solution Konosys and DOKENT for administrative management and e-learning courses
• Carry out a promotional/marketing campaign and improve its website

Supagro is a school based in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, training in agriculture and management. The school was created to face the difficulties of recruitment in agriculture.

The entrepreneur

Supagro was created by Ange PETE, an entrepreneur in the agricultural field and started its activities in 2021.

Aged 40 and of Ivorian nationality, Ange PETE has more than 15 years of experience in France and in Ivory Coast both in banking (Deputy Financial Director of Groupama Bank in France) and in the startup environment (Country Head of Jumia Market and Commercial Director of Jumia Ivory Coast). He holds a Master of Science in Management (Entrepreneurship option) from HEC Paris and a DEA in Remote Sensing from the University of Cocody.

Partnership with I&P :

Supagro is supported by I&P through the education and employment component of  I&P Acceleration in Sahel.

The funding and support provided to Supagro aims at :

•  Fitting out and equipping dormitories, 3 classrooms and a computer room

Ivoire Beauty Academy (IBA) is a training center for the professions of cosmetics and well-being in Côte d'Ivoire.

Ivoire Beauty Academy delivers certificates of professional qualification (CQP) and certificates of professional aptitude (CAP) after an academic course of 9 months combining theory and practical courses. In two years, the school has trained fifty young girls between the ages of 16 and 30 who have dropped out of the school system or are looking for professional integration and/or retraining.

The entrepreneurs

IBA was founded in 2020 by two young Ivorian entrepreneurs who were convinced of the need to professionalize the training market for the cosmetics and wellness professions, a sector in which the majority of training is done through "on-the-job learning": 

• Abdoul Razak Ouattara: with a master's degree in Audit and Management Control and a BTS in Finance and Business Management, he had a career as an accountant in various accounting firms in Abidjan and in a training school 
• Carmen Lavri: this young woman has had various professional experiences in institutes in Accra and Abidjan.

Partnership with I&P

IBA is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel program dedicated to education and employment (IP2E).

The funding and support provided to IBA aims at :

•  Develop and equip the present site to reach a capacity of 60 learners
• Develop and equip a beauty institute  
• Open a second training site
• Support the company in the realization of a marketing campaign

GCUC is a private university founded in 2001 by Albert Acquah, a skilled entrepreneur. Based in Kumasi, the university is made up of a Faculty of Applied Sciences, a Faculty of Health Sciences, and a Business School.   

Through an innovative digitization strategy combined with high-quality teaching, GCUC has grown to be one of the leading universities in Ghana. With over 4,000 alumni, GCUC plays a key role in addressing the shortage of health workers in the country.   

The entrepreneur 

Albert Acquah holds degrees in social sciences (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), economics and international administration (Ohio University).

He worked for several years in investment consulting.  

Albert Acquah began his entrepreneurial adventure in 2001 when he founded the College of Information Technology and Management Systems, which later became Garden City University College. 

Partnership with I&P 

Through its I&P Education to Employment program, I&P has committed to GCUC to:   

• Develop a digitalization plan (e-learning platform, online courses, construction of a recording and production studio)  
• Support its decentralisation strategy, notably through the implementation of campuses in remote areas of the country and the supply computer equipment 
• Strengthen the employability rate of students and graduates through the jobs and internships center, coupled with the appropriate support 
• Implementing policies and practices to protect learners on campus 

Expected impacts

• Increasing the number of beneficiaries: GCUC's reinforced digitalisation will allow many young people to benefit from training in the healthcare field via online service.
• Promoting access to higher education in remote areas of Ghana by opening two new campuses (Akim Oda and Berekum).
• Increasing the employment prospects of young graduates.  

A company supported by the partneship between I&P and Mastercard Foundation

Since February 2021, I&P has partnered with Mastercard Foundation through its I&P Education to Employment initiative, a finance program aimed at improving access to relevant and quality education on the African continent. 

The partnership between I&P Education to Employment and Mastercard Foundation specifically aims to support 30 education entrepreneurs in 3 target countries (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal) over 3 years. The partner companies receive funding and technical assistance to support them in their digital transformation, resilience, and growth strategy as well as in the implementation of social inclusion and employability measurement mechanisms. 

Read more about the I&P Education to Employment program 

GCUC’s website 

MG Lab is a technical training center based in Côte d'Ivoire specialized in learning and capacity building in telecommunications and advanced technologies (fiber optics). The school provides short-term training (5 days to 6 months) targeting young graduates and professionals.

The entrepreneur

MG Lab was created in 2013 by Guy Monney, CEO of MG TELECOM & SERVICES, a company operating in the field of telecommunications since 2011 and represented in 8 African countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, DRC, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, Guinea, Togo, Benin). After having noticed a need for training for individuals and companies, he decided to create MG Lab.

Partnership with I&P

MG Lab is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel program dedicated to education and employment (IP2E).

The funding and support MG Lab receives aims at : 

• The expansion of the company through the establishment of an annex in the town of Yopougon SIPOREX in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). MGLab's ambition is to settle in Yopougon at the request of prospects and customers who find the current location of the center out of place in relation to their place of residence and/or workplace.
• The reinforcement of the car park by the acquisition of a 9-seater vehicle for the outings on site of the students (Ivory Coast) and of 2 vehicles of prospecting (Ivory Coast and Congo).

Senegal has several medical schools and faculties, well known in the sub-region. Among them is the University of Health Sciences of Dakar (USSD), a private institution created in 2016 by academics and members of the medical community eager to provide quality training to young aspiring health professionals. The university offers courses in the fields of medical sciences, pharmacology and dental sciences. USSD is driven by the values of excellence, responsibility and ethics. 

THE ENTREPRENEUR

A graduate in military medicine and an associate professor in parasitology-mycology, Oumar Ndir undertook the creation of the USSD shortly after retiring, eager to train skilled health professionals adapted to local needs. He is in charge of the educational provision, the administration, and the financial activities.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

Through its I&P Education and Employment program, I&P has committed to USSD to:

  ⇒ Strengthen the quality of teaching through the acquisition of equipment for practical training and the upgrading of the library

⇒ Diversify its training offer by offering intermediate degrees, more accessible to low-income students.

⇒ Support the digitalization and the development of blending learning, but also to integrate telemedicine, a first in Senegal.

⇒ Improve the well-being of students on campus by improving the security system, equipping the health clinic and purchasing vaccines.

EXPECTED IMPACTS 

⇒ Increase graduates’ employability through the development of an accessible training offer, in line with local needs.

⇒ Improve access to healthcare in rural areas through telemedicine.

A COMPANY SUPPORTED BY THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN I&P AND MASTERCARD FOUNDATION

Since February 2021, I&P has partnered with Mastercard Foundation through its I&P Education to Employment initiative, a finance program aimed at improving access to relevant and quality education on the African continent. The partnership between I&P Education to Employment and Mastercard Foundation specifically aims to support 30 education entrepreneurs in 3 target countries (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal) over 3 years. The partner companies receive funding and technical assistance to support them in their digital transformation, resilience, and growth strategy as well as in the implementation of social inclusion and employability measurement mechanisms.

Read more 

USSD

I&P Education to Employment program