Canadian accelerator invests $1.2m in NaijaHacks
TLDR
- World Innovation League (WIL) secures $1.2 million in funding for technology training for black individuals globally.
- WIL aims to empower Africans and black immigrants in Canada with tech skills.
- The program will offer tech skills, mentorship, hackathon participation, and work experience within four months to 500 African and black immigrants in Canada.
World Innovation League (WIL), formerly NaijaHacks, has secured $1.2 million in funding to provide technology training for black individuals globally. Founded by Uchi Uchibeke, the creator of Nigerian fintech Chimoney, WIL aims to empower Africans and black immigrants in Canada with tech skills.
The funding, led by Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, addresses the underrepresentation of Black Canadians and recent immigrants in Canada’s technology sector, which currently stands at only 2.6%.
The funding will enable WIL to establish a program that offers tech skills, mentorship, hackathon participation, and work experience within four months to 500 African and black immigrants in Canada. Over the next five years, WIL plans to increase the representation of Black Canadians and new immigrants in key tech roles by 50%.
Key Takeaways
Uchibeke initiated NaijaHacks, a hackathon competition focused on Nigeria, in 2018 while working at Shopify in Canada. He aimed to create a platform for Nigerian talent, on par with their international counterparts, to showcase their skills. The hackathon quickly grew, becoming Africa's largest with over 1,300 participants and 50 sponsors including Microsoft, AWS Activate, and Twilio. Evolving further, it rebranded as AfricHacks, attracting over 2,800 participants and offering ₦100 million ($72,000) in prizes. In 2023, it transformed into the World Innovation League (WIL), a non-profit tech talent accelerator, providing a continued platform for tech talents to flourish.
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