NIGERIA – World Innovation League (WIL), formerly known as NaijaHacks, has obtained US$1.2 million in funding to provide technology training for black individuals around the globe.
Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, a Canadian accelerator, spearheaded the funding round. In a discussion with Techpoint Africa, Uchibeke revealed that the US$1.2 million investment will be used to equip Africans and black immigrants in Canada with tech skills.
The funding will enable WIL to establish a programme that offers tech skills, mentorship, hackathon participation, and work experience within four months to 500 Africans and black immigrants in Canada.
WIL will spearhead the project, with contribution from other project partners including Co.Lab, a product management training platform, and Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program.
According to Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, only 2.6% of Canada’s technology sector is made up of Black Canadians and recent immigrants, particularly Black women. Over the next five years, WIL aims to bolster the representation of Black Canadians and new immigrants in key tech roles by 50%.
Uchi Uchibeke, the founder of Nigerian fintech Chimoney, established the non-profit in 2018.
Uchibeke established NaijaHacks, a hackathon competition focused on Nigeria, in 2018 while he was employed at Shopify in Canada. His vision for the hackathon was to provide a platform for Nigerian talent, who possessed skills equivalent to their international counterparts, to showcase their abilities.
The hackathon saw rapid growth and, according to Uchibeke, it became the largest hackathon in Africa, boasting over 1,300 participants and 50 sponsors, including prominent names like Microsoft, AWS Activate, and Twilio.
As the hackathon expanded, it was rebranded as AfricHacks, attracting over 2,800 participants and offering ₦100 million (US$72,000) in prizes.
In 2023, AfricHacks underwent another transformation and was rebranded as World Innovation League (WIL). Described by Uchibeke as a non-profit tech talent accelerator, WIL continues to provide a platform for tech talents to thrive.
The funding approval process for World Innovation League (WIL) took six months. The work that WIL has accomplished since its inception as NaijaHacks in 2018 played a substantial role in securing the funding.
NaijaHacks evolved from being solely a hackathon for Nigerians in 2018 to becoming a global talent accelerator for black individuals. Uchibeke reflected on the journey, recalling how the hackathon managed to attract sponsors such as Microsoft and Twilio.
In later years, it formed partnerships with more organizations, including Access Bank and the Financial Center for Sustainability Lagos, to host the Nigeria SDGs Hackathon.
Furthermore, the hackathons have fostered prominent figures such as Emmanuel Njoku, one of Nigeria’s youngest startup founders.
“We’ve established trust both from a partnership perspective and an impact perspective,” Uchibeke stated.
WIL is on a path to create an even more significant impact soon. Uchibeke revealed that the non-profit is set to receive an additional US$10 million in funding within a few months. This investment will be used to provide training for 4,000 individuals over the next four years.
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