The Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (HACSA) Foundation has launched its seventh Sankofa Summit, with a strong emphasis on bridging the digital gender gap through its Tech4Girls initiative.
Alex Segbefia, Chief of Staff to Ghana’s Vice President, inaugurated the event at the Tech4Girls Academy in Kanda, calling for broader support to scale the program nationwide.
The initiative, which trains young women in coding, artificial intelligence, and digital skills, aligns with Ghana’s national One Million Coders project. Segbefia described Tech4Girls as a “strategic imperative for development,” pledging government collaboration to ensure girls are not excluded from the digital revolution.
This year’s summit, themed “Honouring the Past, Empowering the Present, Inspiring the Future,” will take place in London from June 19–20, marking its first international edition. Organized with UNESCO and Ghana’s Office of Diaspora Affairs, the event will convene policymakers, business leaders, and innovators to discuss youth empowerment, intergenerational learning, and Africa’s creative economy.
A parliamentary conference at the UK Parliament, hosted by MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, will kick off the summit, followed by a charity gala at The Landmark Hotel. The program also honors Ghanaian photographer James Barnor, celebrating his legacy alongside discussions on diaspora engagement and digital capacity building.
HACSA Founder Johanna Odonkor Svanikier stressed the urgency of equipping African youth with future-ready skills. “By investing in girls’ tech education today, we’re shaping tomorrow’s leaders,” she said, appealing for support to complete the Tech4Girls Academy campus. Kofi Okyere-Darko of Ghana’s Diaspora Affairs Office reiterated commitments to fostering diaspora partnerships.
As Africa’s youth population surges, initiatives like Tech4Girls highlight the critical intersection of education, gender equity, and economic transformation. The summit’s diaspora focus underscores the potential of global networks to accelerate local impact turning digital inclusion from an aspiration into actionable policy.
