Ceremony welcomes Class of 2026
A high-energy drumbeat filled the ENIA 2.0 auditorium in Brazzaville on 3 November as the school welcomed its second cohort of scholarship winners. Freshly graduated bacheliers from several departments filed in, each handed a starter kit of laptops, badges and study guides under flashing camera lights.
- Ceremony welcomes Class of 2026
- Scholarships opening new doors
- A hands-on curriculum built on three pillars
- Bridging regions, closing gaps
- Voices from the campus
- The promoter’s call to action
- Government backing for digital ambition
- Rigour from day one
- Creativity encouraged, not optional
- Economic ripple effects
- Strong female representation
- Sustainability angle
- Looking toward international partnerships
- What the students tackle first
- Community impact beyond the gates
- Milestones ahead
- An optimistic horizon
Scholarships opening new doors
The intake forms part of the “Bourse Mon Avenir” programme, announced last year with the ambition of financing 1 000 full-fee places in emerging tech disciplines. With more than 500 grants now signed, ministers cited by Les Dépêches de Brazzaville called the tally “a concrete boost to employability” for the country’s youth.
A hands-on curriculum built on three pillars
Director-general Mongo Ossebi Pierre reminded the newcomers that competence, rigour and creativity drive every assignment. Over three years they will alternate classroom theory with hackathons, company internships and community labs. “Our mission is to turn potential into professional strength able to tackle tomorrow’s challenges,” he told reporters (Radio Congo).
Bridging regions, closing gaps
Almost one third of the current class hails from Pointe-Noire and neighbouring departments, figures shared by the school’s admissions team show. Transport stipends and online modules mean geography is no longer a barrier. “Digital skills must travel the whole territory, not stay in capital circles,” added Ossebi.
Voices from the campus
First-year student Grace Mabiala, 19, left Kinkala for Brazzaville after securing a 15/20 average at the Bac. “My parents could not pay private tuition. The scholarship changed everything,” she said while configuring her new laptop. Nearby, Serge Mavoungou rehearsed a short pitch for a future agritech start-up.
The promoter’s call to action
Founder Chirel Mongo, who launched ENIA in 2022, urged the cohort to “think, design and build” solutions for the Congo of 2030. He cited local apps tracking fuel prices and real-time flood alerts among early student projects that already draw interest from public agencies (Agence d’Information d’Afrique Centrale).
Government backing for digital ambition
The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, partner of the school, frames ENIA as a pilot within its Digital Transformation Plan 2025. Officials highlight a projected demand for 10 000 software and AI specialists nationwide, citing a 2023 labour market study co-authored with the World Bank.
Rigour from day one
Lectures begin with a coding boot camp where absences count double. Continuous assessment replaces end-of-year cramming, a policy the school credits for its 92 % retention rate in the maiden class. External examiners from the University of Denis Sassou Nguesso validate final projects, giving degrees recognised across CEMAC universities.
Creativity encouraged, not optional
Every trimester concludes with a two-day “Innovation Sprint”. Teams build prototypes responding to local issues, from transport congestion to cassava yield forecasting. Winners receive micro-grants and mentoring from Congo-based fintechs. Observers note the format mirrors global tech culture while rooting challenges in Brazzaville’s streets and rural realities.
Economic ripple effects
Parents gathered outside the hall voiced hope the programme will curb graduate unemployment, officially at 15 % among 18-to-35-year-olds according to the National Statistics Institute. Employers like MTN Congo and the Port Authority have already signed memoranda to offer apprenticeships, seeing ENIA alumni as valuable early hires.
Strong female representation
Forty-six percent of the 2023-2026 cohort are young women, a figure celebrated by civil-society group Wi-Tech Congo. “Coding rooms used to be male-dominated,” coordinator Danièle Itoua explained. “Scholarships level the playing field before stereotypes take hold.” The school targets parity for the next intake.
Sustainability angle
Beyond jobs, lecturers weave energy efficiency into assignments: servers run on solar panels donated by a Sino-Congolese venture, and students refit discarded smartphones into low-cost sensors. The campus saved 12 megawatt-hours last semester, according to internal audits shared at the ceremony.
Looking toward international partnerships
Negotiations with Morocco’s 1337 coding school and France’s École 42 are under way for exchange modules. Chirel Mongo hopes the first batch of ENIA students will spend a month abroad next year, “opening minds while showcasing Congolese creativity on the global stage,” he said.
What the students tackle first
Semester one covers Python basics, data ethics, and teamwork drills delivered in French and English. A crash course on AI fairness resonates strongly in a region facing digital divides. “Code means power; we must use it responsibly,” lecturer Gladys Maboundou insisted during orientation week.
Community impact beyond the gates
The campus opens its computer lab to neighbouring schools every Saturday. Since January, more than 800 secondary pupils have tried robotics kits there, school logs show. Local principal Jean-Pierre Okemba calls the outreach “a priceless preview of careers many rural children never imagined.”
Milestones ahead
By June, each scholar must publish a GitHub repository demonstrating a workable AI model. In year two they will pitch business plans to a jury including banks and the national innovation fund. Success could unlock seed capital without waiting for graduation.
An optimistic horizon
As applause closed the ceremony, a banner overhead read “Transforming Talent into Progress”. In a region where young demographics meet rising digital demand, ENIA 2.0’s scholarship drive signals a pragmatic confidence: give disciplined guidance, and the next generation can script Congo’s digital future themselves.
