Médard Agbayazon Trains Benin’s Youth for Jobs in the Digital Economy

• Médard Agbayazon founded Ecole229 in 2021 to equip young people and career changers with practical digital skills.
• The school trains students in web and mobile development, digital marketing, generative AI and data analysis.
• Agbayazon also founded Blolab Benin, an innovation space that supports prototyping and skills development.

A trained computer scientist, Agbayazon founded Ecole229 in 2021 to help young people and career changers develop practical skills that they can immediately apply in the job market. The school uses digital technology as a tool for professional integration and focuses on people who often remain distant from formal employment opportunities.

Web and mobile development forms one of the main pillars of Ecole229’s training programs. Students learn the skills required to design websites, web applications and solutions for smartphones and tablets. They also study interface design and the architecture of digital services.

Ecole229 has expanded its training offer as the digital economy evolves. Its digital marketing program prepares students to manage corporate visibility, run online communities and develop targeted advertising campaigns.

The school also offers introductory courses in core digital skills. These modules cover office software, collaborative work tools, generative artificial intelligence and data analysis.

From coding to digital manufacturing: turning youth ambition into future-ready skills

Ecole229 also promotes physical prototyping and collaborative learning. Its program in smart design and digital manufacturing combines modelling, electronics, programming and artificial intelligence. Students focus on practical experimentation and develop concrete projects as part of their training.

Agbayazon holds a computer science degree from the University of Abomey-Calavi. He has also spent several years supporting Benin’s local entrepreneurship ecosystem.

He founded Blolab Benin in 2015 and serves as its chief executive. The innovation space provides creators with access to machine tools and other resources that can accelerate prototyping and help them develop technical skills.

Melchior Koba