Hacklab Foundation on Tuesday announced details of the 5th edition of the largest hackathon in West Africa - The Hacklab Annual Hackathon. 

Since its inception in 2015, Hacklab Annual Hackathon has brought together over 2000 student developers, with hundreds of ideas being birthed.

Over the years, the hackathon has operated under various themes.

The most recent theme, “Can Blockchain Technology Transform the Service Industry in Ghana”, shaped the conversation and ideas that were developed at the 2019 event which was held at the Great Hall in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

After what was a major hindrance last year, the team, led by Foster Awintiti Akugri, has pulled resources together to make it happen this year. 

This year, the event is running with the theme “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Drive Digital Transformation in Africa”.

Just as many events, this year’s hackathon will happen virtually, with the organisers not only demonstrating the significance of the technological revolution but also, considering the safety and wellbeing of the participants and patrons. 

Hacklab Annual Hackathon will maintain its normal course of a two-day non-stop, coding and writing computer programs to develop ideas that solve issues pertaining to the theme of the event.

This will be interspersed with mentorship sessions, panel discussions, as well as networking. 

Hacklab 2021 kicks off on  Friday, April 9, and ends on Tuesday, April 13, 2021.

About the Foundation

The Hacklab Foundation is an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Ghana with a focus on preparing the youth for future digital jobs through technology education and skills development.

We achieve this through boot camps, hackathons, mentorship and coaching, internships, digital skills training and job placement. Our footprints currently span across Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and India.

Since its inception in 2015, the foundation has directly impacted over 10,000 people, organized hackathons, robotics and coding boot camps for kids between the ages of 7yrs - 13yrs, supported 500+ women in tech, 300+ youth were placed in jobs and 250+ youth were placed in internships.

Through a partnership with IBM, the foundation launched the Ghana National Digital Skills Training Program in November 2018, with a goal to reach 100,000 people by 2021

The Foundation is known for its Annual Hacklab Hackathon hosted in Ghana which brings together 1000+ participants including developers, engineers, designers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders in technology to meet and discuss critical issues impacting the Global South, identify opportunities and develop tech-enabled solutions for emerging economies.

With over 800+ developers at one venue, they compete and develop industry-standard solutions to address identified challenges in 36 hours with support from industry professionals and seasoned experts.