20 Youths Graduate from Africaplan Foundation’s Hackathon Programme

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

No fewer than 20 youths from the South-east region have graduated from the second edition of Hackathon Africa funded by the AfricaPlan Foundation, a United States-based non-profit organisation.

The fully-funded residential programme, which lasted for three months, had over 1,000 applications out of which 20 were shortlisted to join this year’s cohort.

For the second edition, the foundation partnered Hordanso, a technology company that specialises in software development for mobile and web platforms to give the participants hands-on training in Generative AI and how it can be used to solve problems.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony in Enugu yesterday, Africaplan founder, Oni Chukwu, said that the foundation remains committed to tackling the widespread challenge of unemployment through its Hackathon Programme, which is in its second year.

He regretted that Nigerian universities churn out thousands of graduates every year, who sadly, do not get meaningful jobs that they need to survive.

According to him, “We are changing the narrative by helping these graduates get into technology jobs and entrepreneurship because it remains the biggest leveler that can give them the opportunities they need to thrive.”

He urged the students to make the foundation and themselves proud with the skills that they have earned from the months of intensive learning and also provide solutions to challenges around them.

The Secretary of the Board of Trustees(BoT), Africaplan Foundation, Priscilla Iroaganachi, said that the next step after the training would be to match the graduates with companies where they can undergo internships for another three months to improve on what they already know after which they get employed.

Highpoints of the ceremony were presentation of applications software for waste disposal, dry cleaning services, real estate and health developed by the students.