The Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Alex Segbefia, has made a passionate appeal to both public and private stakeholders to throw their weight behind the groundbreaking Tech4Girls initiative, a flagship program by the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (HACSA) Foundation aimed at empowering young women with digital skills.
Mr. Segbefia made this call during the official launch of the 7th HACSA Summit held at Kanda, Accra. In his address, he praised the initiative, which trains girls and young women in vital areas such as coding, generative AI, and other essential ICT competencies, calling it “a remarkable strategic move for national development.”
He also noted that Tech4Girls aligns seamlessly with the government’s tech ambitions, including the One Million Coders Initiative recently introduced by President John Dramani Mahama.
“With the right support, Tech4Girls can be scaled nationwide to ensure that no girl is left behind in Africa’s digital revolution,” Segbefia emphasized.
The 2025 HACSA Summit will, for the first time, take place outside Ghana—from June 1st to 20th in London, UK—under the theme: “Honouring the Past, Empowering the Present, Inspiring the Future.”
Organized in collaboration with UNESCO and Ghana’s Office of Diaspora Affairs, the summit will convene global thought leaders, policymakers, creatives, business leaders, and youth innovators. This year’s focus will shine a spotlight on Africa’s youth—the continent’s fastest-growing demographic—and their pivotal role in shaping its future.
Discussions will center on Intergenerational learning, and the creative economy as a driver of employment and other areas include building human and digital capital and strengthening ties between Africans and the diaspora to unlock new opportunities in trade, finance, and innovation.
The London edition will open with a special session at the UK Parliament on June 19th, hosted by MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the UK’s Trade Envoy to Ghana.
A fundraising Gala will follow on June 20th at the iconic Landmark Hotel in Marylebone. Other notable events include a welcome cocktail reception and a celebratory lunch in honour of legendary Ghanaian photographer James Barnor, who will also feature in a fireside chat during the summit.
Founder and CEO of the HACSA Foundation, Ambassador Johanna Odonkor Svanikier, expressed optimism about the summit’s impact, particularly in supporting the continued growth of the Tech4Girls Academy.
“Empowering Africa’s youth is not just an investment in our future—it is a necessity for our present,” she said. “By equipping young people, especially girls, with digital and life skills, we are nurturing a new generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers.”
The Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, Kofi Okyere Darko, pledged full support for HACSA in engaging participants from across the global African diaspora.
As preparations intensify for the 2025 summit, Africans at home and abroad are encouraged to register, participate, and be part of the movement to shape a more inclusive, tech-driven African future.
