Airtel Tanzania plans to establish a Fursa Lab facility (Smart class) at Magaoni Secondary School in the northern city of Tanga, expanding a digital skills programme aimed at helping young people turn technology and innovation into economic opportunities.
The Airtel Fursa Lab facility, announced by Airtel Tanzania's Head of Communications and Public Relations, Jackson Mmbando, during Tanzania's National Education, Skills and Innovation Week, will provide young people with access to digital learning, entrepreneurship training and opportunities to develop and test ideas.
The expansion comes as Tanzania seeks to build a workforce capable of using technology not only for communication but also for education, business and innovation.
The Airtel Fursa Lab model was established in 2020 through a partnership between Airtel Africa Foundation and Dar es Salaam Technology and Business Incubator (DTBi).
So far, more than 5,800 students, teachers, young people, entrepreneurs and women have benefited from the programme.
The Airtel Fursa Lab has sought to bridge a gap between access to technology and the ability to use it productively.
Participants have received training in areas including computer science, software development, business and other practical skills, while gaining access to digital learning platforms and artificial intelligence-related content.
"The new facility will provide an environment where young people and innovators can learn, experiment and develop their ideas," Mmbando said.
Tanzania has expanded digital connectivity in recent years, but the growing availability of internet access has also highlighted the need for skills that allow people to use technology to create economic value.
The Airtel Fursa Lab approach seeks to address that challenge by combining digital education with practical experimentation and entrepreneurship.
At the Kijitonyama Secondary School Airtel Fursa Lab in Dar es Salaam, students have developed technology-based projects, including an application designed to help girls track menstrual cycles and access information.
Another student, Angel Swai, developed an artificial-intelligence-based concept for traffic-control lights after using the facility's resources to test her ideas.
Such examples illustrate the programme's focus on moving students beyond theoretical knowledge and giving them opportunities to apply technology to problems in their communities.
The refurbished Airtel Fursa Lab at Kijitonyama, which was relaunched earlier this month, has also provided access to digital learning for students who completed primary and secondary school and for university graduates.
The planned Tanga facility will also support programmes focused on intellectual property and entrepreneurship, including Inno IP and Women Business.
The programmes are being implemented through collaboration between Airtel Tanzania, Tanzania's Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), through DTBi, and the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA).
The focus on intellectual property is intended to help innovators understand how to protect their ideas, while entrepreneurship programmes seek to improve participants' ability to use digital tools in developing and growing businesses.
That link is important because access to technology alone does not guarantee that an innovation will become a viable business. Young entrepreneurs also need knowledge of intellectual property, business development and digital markets.
Mmbando said Airtel wanted young people and entrepreneurs to use the facilities to develop skills and turn ideas into products and services with economic value.
A similar Airtel Fursa Lab facility is also planned for Usagara in Tanga, further expanding access to digital learning and innovation opportunities in the region.
The expansion of the Airtel Fursa Lab network reflects a broader effort by Airtel Africa to develop digital talent through partnerships between government institutions and private companies.
The Magaoni Fursa Lab is intended to form part of that transition, giving students and young entrepreneurs a place to learn, experiment and develop solutions while building skills that can be applied beyond the classroom.
