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Digital Divide Country Profile · Africa

ML

Mali

Closing the digital divide, expanding meaningful connectivity, and advancing digital education and workforce participation.

Location in the world

Mali

Flag of Mali

Africa

World map showing the location of MaliMali
🇲🇱
Population (2024)
24,478,595
Total area
1,240,192 km²
Area in square miles
478,840.61 mi²
Coastline
Landlocked · 0 km
Base map adapted from Wikimedia Commons. Population: World Bank (2024); geography: CIA World Factbook.

National digital inclusion context

A portfolio-based view of access, capability, and outcomes.

This profile organizes the initiatives directly connected to Mali in the global research inventory. It follows the study's country-profile framework: national context, broadband infrastructure, inclusion practices, education and workforce connections, implementation actors, and intended contribution.

The documented portfolio emphasizes Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure, Power / Resilience Infrastructure, Telecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure, Computer / Desktop PC, Wi-Fi. The profile treats infrastructure, affordability, capability, institutions, support, and outcomes as an interconnected system.

Portfolio pattern

What the documented response contains.

Counts reflect source-workbook tags. One initiative may appear in multiple infrastructure or technology categories.

Infrastructure and access

  1. Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure2
  2. Power / Resilience Infrastructure2
  3. Telecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure2
  4. Community Access / Computing Infrastructure1
  5. Public Wi-Fi / Community Network Infrastructure1

Specific technologies

  1. Computer / Desktop PC2
  2. Wi-Fi2
  3. Digital Identity / e-ID1
  4. Solar Power1

Intervention classification

  1. Infrastructure only3
  2. Neither explicitly identified3
  3. Infrastructure and Specific Technology2
  4. Specific Technology only2

Education and workforce

Connectivity becomes consequential through participation.

3 initiatives explicitly connect to education, K–12, or college/university contexts, and 1 connect to workforce development. Other investments may enable these outcomes indirectly.

Access

Networks, service availability, devices, and connection quality.

Capability

Skills, confidence, accessibility, navigation, and support.

Participation

Education, work, health, government, and civic opportunity.

Sustainability

Governance, operations, maintenance, funding, and learning.

Project and initiative portfolio

10 documented records

Every directly tagged record is shown with details and supporting URLs preserved from the research workbook.

01

Community Wi-Fi / universal access

AGEFAU Cases Wi-Fi Program

Ongoing; 100 prior units plus 100 new units reported for 2025-2026 · Multiple regions and Bamako
View details
Status / periodOngoing; 100 prior units plus 100 new units reported for 2025-2026LocationMultiple regions and BamakoPopulationStudents, training-centre users and surrounding communitiesOrganizationsAGEFAU; Government of Mali

Extends local internet access through Wi-Fi facilities in schools and community locations, particularly outside well-served areas.

Activities and approach: Containerized and building-based Wi-Fi sites; internet access; solar support.

Public Wi-Fi / Community Network InfrastructurePower / Resilience InfrastructureWi-Fi
EducationK–12
02

Community public-access connectivity

AGEFAU Centres d’Accès Universel (Universal Access Centres)

Ongoing; 113 centres reported · Nationwide, including rural locations
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Status / periodOngoing; 113 centres reportedLocationNationwide, including rural locationsPopulationRural residents, municipalities, universities, social organizations, persons with disabilitiesOrganizationsAGEFAU

Provides equipped community access points with internet and accessible ICT to people who may lack private access.

Activities and approach: Internet-connected access centres; computers; assistive equipment; training.

Computer / Desktop PC
EducationCollege / university
03

Education broadband and digital inclusion

AGEFAU Public Secondary and Technical Education Connectivity Expansion

2025-2027 expansion underway · Public secondary, technical and vocational institutions nationwide
View details
Status / period2025-2027 expansion underwayLocationPublic secondary, technical and vocational institutions nationwidePopulationStudents, teachers, trainees and job seekersOrganizationsAGEFAU; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training

Aims to connect public secondary, technical and vocational institutions while adding computer rooms, access centres and Wi-Fi.

Activities and approach: School/TVET connectivity; computer labs; access centres; Wi-Fi; devices; solar power.

Community Access / Computing InfrastructurePower / Resilience InfrastructureWi-FiComputer / Desktop PC
EducationK–12Workforce
04

Rural/mobile coverage universal service

AGEFAU White-Zone Telecommunications and Internet Coverage Projects

Ongoing · Unserved / white-zone localities
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Status / periodOngoingLocationUnserved / white-zone localitiesPopulationPeople living in areas without adequate telecommunications and internet coverageOrganizationsAGEFAU

Targets geographic coverage gaps by financing telecommunications and internet network coverage in underserved areas.

Activities and approach: Mobile/telecom network coverage; internet extension; universal-service financing.

Telecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure
05

Broadband affordability/adoption

Mali Digital Transformation – Affordable Broadband Adoption

Planned/project preparation · Underserved populations
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Status / periodPlanned/project preparationLocationUnderserved populationsPopulationLow-income usersOrganizationsGovernment of Mali; World Bank

Addresses high costs and low adoption alongside infrastructure deployment.

Activities and approach: Affordability/adoption measures

06

Broadband enabling environment

Mali Digital Transformation – Broadband Market Competition and Infrastructure Sharing

Planned/project preparation · Nationwide
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Status / periodPlanned/project preparationLocationNationwidePopulationConsumers and operatorsOrganizationsGovernment of Mali; World Bank

Addresses weak competition and infrastructure-sharing barriers that keep broadband costly.

Activities and approach: Regulatory reform; infrastructure sharing

07

Digital public services

Mali Digital Transformation – Digitally Enabled Public Services

Planned/project preparation · Nationwide targeted services
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Status / periodPlanned/project preparationLocationNationwide targeted servicesPopulationCitizens in underserved areasOrganizationsGovernment of Mali; World Bank

Brings public services online so connectivity provides practical service access.

Activities and approach: Digital public-service platforms

08

Digital identity

Mali Digital Transformation – Legal Identity Access

Planned/project preparation · Underserved populations
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Status / periodPlanned/project preparationLocationUnderserved populationsPopulationPeople lacking reliable legal identificationOrganizationsGovernment of Mali; World Bank

Improves legal identification so underserved groups can access digital and public services.

Activities and approach: Legal ID systems

Digital Identity / e-ID
09

Rural broadband

Mali Digital Transformation – Rural Broadband Expansion

Planned/project preparation · Underserved rural areas
View details
Status / periodPlanned/project preparationLocationUnderserved rural areasPopulationRural residentsOrganizationsGovernment of Mali; World Bank

Improves broadband access in areas outside Bamako and commercially weak markets.

Activities and approach: Broadband infrastructure

Last-Mile / Access InfrastructureTelecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure
10

National digital transformation and broadband adoption

Mali Digital Transformation Project (P176174)

Project preparation / concept stage documented 2021 · National; rural and underserved areas
View details
Status / periodProject preparation / concept stage documented 2021LocationNational; rural and underserved areasPopulationCitizens, businesses, government, rural users and women facing access gapsOrganizationsGovernment of Mali; World Bank

Targets low broadband adoption and urban-rural and gender digital divides by increasing access and uptake.

Activities and approach: Broadband expansion; enabling environment; digital adoption; government services.

Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure
World Bank. (2021). Concept Project Information Document: Mali Digital Transformation Project (P176174).Open supporting source ↗

Evidence boundary

Read the portfolio as a starting point, not a final verdict.

Project records document interventions and intended contributions; they do not alone prove nationwide coverage, causal impact, or durable closure.

Profiles will deepen as national statistics, policy documents, evaluations, and implementation evidence are incorporated. Source links allow inspection of underlying evidence.

Evidence and contextProfile Sources

These sources support the country-level demographic, geographic, and connectivity context. Sources tied to individual projects remain with their project records and are not repeated here.

  1. Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). Mali. The World Factbook. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mali/
  2. International Telecommunication Union. (n.d.). ITU DataHub: Country ICT data. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://datahub.itu.int/
  3. World Bank. (n.d.). Individuals using the Internet (% of population): Mali. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=ML
  4. World Bank. (n.d.). Population, total: Mali. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=ML

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