The ECOWAS Commission, in partnership with Tech Herfrica, the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Liberia, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Liberia, successfully held a three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop on Digital Skills for Women in Rural Communities, from 6th to 8th August 2025 in Monrovia, Liberia.
The workshop aimed to advance digital inclusion and empower women in underserved communities by providing them with essential digital tools and knowledge to enhance their economic participation. The initiative focused on a training model, enabling trained participants to replicate the training in their respective communities, thereby ensuring sustainability and grassroots impact on women and youths. The opening session featured remarks from the Liberia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ECOWAS Commission, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Republic of Liberia.
During his opening remarks, Mr. Wilmot E. Reeves, Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry, conveyed his profound gratitude and appreciation to the ECOWAS Commission on behalf of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for bringing this vital digital skills training initiative to Liberia. He noted that this program aligns seamlessly with Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. Deputy Minister Reeves emphasized the significant challenges prevalent in low-income communities, identifying the private sector as a crucial primary actor. He stressed the urgent need to address the relatively low levels of digital literacy and underscored the imperative for comprehensive digital transformation. He concluded by accentuating the substantial disparity between rural and urban areas, urging collaborative efforts to bridge this significant gap.
In her keynote address, delivered on behalf of Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Her Excellency Josephine Nkrumah, Permanent Representative of the ECOWAS Commission in Liberia, underlined the profound significance of ECOWAS Vision 2050. She highlighted the vision’s emphasis on fostering enhanced regional connectivity and integration. Furthermore, H.E. Josephine Nkrumah specifically drew attention to Pillars 3 and 4 of ECOWAS Vision 2050, which reiterate the need for a more integrated economic region, alongside the strategic inclusion of the ECOWAS Trade and Gender Action Plan. Concluding her remarks, H.E. Nkrumah affirmed that each participant in the training represents a future leader, expressing anticipation for the knowledge to be imparted by the trainers and the subsequent initiatives and follow-up actions that will emerge from this pivotal “training of trainers”.
The President of the Liberia Chamber of Commerce, Hon. O. Natty B. Davis, II, welcomed attendees to the digital skills training for women entrepreneurs, emphasizing that this “Training of Trainers” is a vital investment in human capital. He highlighted that equipping women, particularly those from rural communities, with digital skills unlocks new market access, improves financial management, and connects them to a world of opportunities, thereby strengthening local economies and fostering an inclusive nation. He concluded by urging participants to embrace their roles as mentors and leaders, assuring them of the Chamber’s ongoing commitment to supporting women’s entrepreneurship and digital inclusion for a more prosperous Liberia.
The selected participants were trained to build their capacity as digital trainers. The sessions focused on digital platforms, smartphone skills for Business, adult learning methodologies, social media for Business, Income generation, and digital payment. Trainers were equipped not only with digital tools but also with the pedagogical approaches necessary to deliver training within their communities effectively.
The newly trained participants facilitated their training sessions for a group of rural women. This hands-on peer teaching exercise demonstrated the effectiveness of the cascade training model and provided participants with the opportunity to apply what they had learned.
This workshop is part of the Commission’s efforts to promote gender equality, digital transformation, and inclusive economic development across the region. By investing in local capacity and enabling women to take leadership in digital knowledge, the initiative lays the foundation for a sustainable model of community empowerment through digitisation.
