SIRA: New Regional Drive to Equip Youth with Skills and Jobs in Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea

$642 million program to reach 5.4 million young people with market-relevant skills, education, and job opportunities

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2026 - The World Bank Group Board of Executive Directors today approved the Skills for Innovation, Resilience, and Aspirations (SIRA) Program, a flagship regional initiative designed to strengthen education-to-employment pathways for youth across Western and Central Africa. SIRA supports the World Bank Group's Jobs Agenda, which places more and better jobs at the center of poverty reduction. The initiative strengthens skills systems while supporting foundational infrastructure, improved governance, and private investment in high-growth sectors such as energy, healthcare, agribusiness, manufacturing, and tourism.

With the world's youngest and fastest-growing population, Western and Central Africa faces a critical opportunity and urgency to equip its youth with the skills needed for productive work. Each year, six million young people enter the labor market, underscoring the need for stronger education systems, market-relevant skills, and clearer pathways from learning to employment.

SIRA will address these challenges at scale by helping young people acquire job-relevant skills, connect them with employers, and access better employment opportunities. Backed by $642 million in Phase 1 financing, the program will initially support Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea, reaching an estimated 5.4 million young people, particularly young women and out-of-school youth. It is designed as a scalable regional platform open to countries committed to strengthening the link between education, skills, and jobs.

"SIRA marks a decisive shift in how countries address youth who are Not in Employment, Education, or Training-moving from fragmented efforts to a unified, scalable platform that connects skills to jobs and economic transformation," said Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Group Vice President for Western and Central Africa. "By investing in young people at scale, this program will equip millions with market-relevant skills, expand access to quality jobs, and strengthen national and regional systems to deliver sustained growth, resilience, and opportunities."

In Cabo Verde, the Creating Opportunities and Reaching Results on Employment initiative through SIRA, will expand youth access to jobs, strengthen job-relevant skills, and improve the country's skills ecosystem. The program will benefit youth aged 15-35 by enhancing learning outcomes, expanding certification and employment opportunities in growth sectors, and supporting at-risk groups, including out-of-school and vulnerable youth.

"We welcome this operation, which will directly benefit an estimated 50,000 young women and men in Cabo Verde by expanding access to quality employment opportunities, boosting more productive self-employment, and enabling certification through labor market-relevant skills training," said Djibrilla Adamou Issa, World Bank Group Division Director for Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal.

In Côte d'Ivoire, SIRA will expand access to quality skills training and improve employment outcomes for more than 900,000 young people, supporting the National Development Plan (2026-2030). SIRA will strengthen pathways between vocational and tertiary education, deepen alignment with labor market demand, and position skills development as a tangible lever for industrial transformation and private sector growth.

In Guinea, the program will strengthen education and skills systems while expanding access to jobs, supporting the skilling and economic diversification objectives under the Simandou Vision 2040. It will modernize secondary education, scale technical and vocational training in priority sectors-including agribusiness, energy, and digital-and expand entrepreneurship and job placement support. The program is expected to benefit around 2.7 million young Guineans.

"SIRA is a game changer for skills and jobs in Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea," said Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, World Bank Group Division Director for Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Togo. "By fundamentally rebalancing education toward technical and vocational training and partnering closely with employers, SIRA is ensuring that young people acquire the skills the market demands-creating a stronger workforce, better jobs, and faster economic growth."

Contacts:

• In Cabo Verde: Marco Silva, [email protected]
• In Cote d'Ivoire: Nguessan Enoh, [email protected]
• In Guinea: Zubah Beavogui, [email protected]