Digital education: DRC wants to strengthen its cooperation with Huawei
August 25th 2025
Digital transformation is a priority for the Congolese government to accelerate the country’s socio-economic development in the coming years. It affects all sectors, including education.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) intends to strengthen its cooperation with technology giant Huawei in the field of digital education. A letter of intent (LOI) was signed last week by the two parties during the World Conference on Smart Education 2025, held in Beijing from Monday, August 18 to Wednesday, August 20.
Signed by Marie-Thérèse Sombo Ayanne Safi Mukuna (pictured, center), Minister of Higher and University Education, the letter focuses on developing university digital infrastructure, implementing smart classrooms and online learning platforms, and strengthening the digital skills of teachers and students. It also provides for the creation of a joint innovation lab in the DRC to train young talent for the digital age.
Digital transformation efforts are intensifying
Through this initiative, the government is intensifying its efforts to digitally transform the national education system. The integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) is seen as a key lever for improving the inclusiveness, quality, and relevance of education, while preparing students for the challenges of the 21st century.
In this context, the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship signed a decree in February 2025 organizing and supervising distance learning in primary, secondary, and technical education. According to the document, “this decree places the DRC in the global dynamic of digital education. In accordance with UNESCO recommendations, it promotes access to quality and equitable education, ensures educational continuity, and strengthens the resilience of the education system in the face of crises.”
In May 2025, a workshop was held in Kinshasa to develop a national policy and strategy for integrating ICT into education, with the participation of sector stakeholders and partners. Discussions focused on the sustainable integration of ICT into curricula, teacher training, school management, and educational infrastructure, with the goal of equipping 60% of the country’s schools with digital devices by 2029.
Other recent actions include the launch of the Open and Distance Learning platform to expand access to higher education across the country, including in areas affected by conflict or natural disasters, as well as the implementation of a digital platform for issuing and verifying diplomas. Meanwhile, the “Access to Education 2022-2027” program, led by UNICEF and Airtel, targets 10,000 students. The telecom operator has entered into discussions with the government as early as 2024 to make the national education platform “Ma Classe” accessible free of charge.
But challenges remain
It should be noted, however, that this strengthened partnership between Huawei and the Congolese government is still in its infancy. While the letter of intent demonstrates a willingness to collaborate on both sides, no formal agreement has yet been signed or announced. We will therefore have to wait for further developments to see if the project will come to fruition and assess its potential benefits.
Furthermore, a diagnosis of digital education in the DRC, published in August 2025 by the Ministry of National Education, indicates that efforts to integrate digital education remain largely dispersed and poorly coordinated. This explains why the initiatives carried out so far are struggling to produce lasting effects. The report also highlights several major challenges such as infrastructure deficits, unequal institutional capacities, insufficient coordination, the exclusion of certain groups, poverty, socio-economic constraints, financial instability, the digital divide, as well as regulatory barriers and cultural resistance.
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