Emre Varol, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ‘Africa to Silicon Valley’ (A2SV) has paid a courtesy call on Dr. Godwin Acquaye, CEO of the Business and Financial Times, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
The visit aimed to foster partnerships with key strategic institutions in Ghana to drive innovation and technology, strengthening the tech ecosystem for sustainable development.
A2SV is a nonprofit tech academy and incubator that upskills high-potential African University students, connects them to opportunities at the world’s top tech companies, and supports them in building digital solutions to address urgent challenges across Africa.
According to Emre, A2SV seeks to bridge the skills gap between academician and industry in the tech space.
Their aim is to provide the requisite skills required by major global technology-related firms such as Google, Microsoft, Bloomberg, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, among others. He indicated that their products are highly sought after by international tech firms and seeks to duplicate the same model in Ghana.
Emre hinted on their partnership with the University of Ghana and seeking to strike a deal with Ghana Communication Technology University.
Further, Emre indicated that in just 4 years, their students have received more than 60 job offers from companies like Google, Amazon, LinkedIn, Databricks, Palantir, and Bloomberg.
He stated that “In 2022, our students achieved a 70% acceptance rate in Google software engineering interviews, where the average acceptance rate is just 2%, and in 2024, we organized the biggest hackathon on the African continent, focused on AI for impact.
The A2SV Hackathon attracted over 4900 participants from 48 countries across Africa, fostering collaboration, learning, and innovation in solving real-world challenges. We are building a global talent marketplace to help our top-notch African software engineers connect with companies around the world, offering their skills for impactful projects.”
Dr. Acquaye lauded Emre for this outstanding initiative and encouraged him to implement same in Ghana as planned.
He indicated the Business and Financial Times will support and equally help the successfully implementation skills and talent development of young people in the tech space.
He further stated that, B&FT over the years have been promoting initiatives which supports job creation through their events, significantly, the Youth Economic Forum.
Dr. Godwin Acquaye reiterated that next year’s Youth Economic Forum will focus on technology and agribusiness as a critical vehicle to drive job creation. Emre on his part agreed in principle to participate and support the tech aspect of Youth Economic Forum, 2025. The two institutions agreed to partner to host Hackathon 2025 in Ghana.
Hackathon 2025 is a highly competitive tech challenge by young graduates and professionals across the continent, and the final six groups will converge in Ghana for the ultimate prize. The participants are expected to develop a tech product with the propensity of creating value and solving real life problems.
Emre thank Dr. Acquaye for his warm reception and trust a fruitful partnership between the two institutions.
