Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Ghana, Alex Segbefia, has launched the 7th HACSA Sankofa Summit in Accra with a passionate call for public and private sector support for the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (HACSA) Foundation’s groundbreaking Tech4Girls Initiative.

Speaking at the Tech4Girls Academy campus in Kanda, Segbefia described the initiative, which trains girls and young women in coding, generative AI, and other essential ICT skills, as a “remarkable strategic initiative for national development.”

He commended the programme’s alignment with the government’s priorities in the tech sector, notably the recently launched One Million Coders initiative by President John Dramani Mahama.

“With the right support, Tech4Girls can be scaled nationwide to ensure girls are not left behind in the digital revolution,” he said, assuring HACSA of the government’s partnership and continued support.

The 2025 HACSA Sankofa Summit, to be hosted for the first time in London, UK, from June 19 to 20, will run under the theme; “Honouring the Past, Empowering the Present, Inspiring the Future.”

Organised in collaboration with UNESCO and Ghana’s Office of Diaspora Affairs, the summit will bring together global thought leaders, policymakers, business executives, creatives, and young innovators.

This year’s summit will focus on Africa’s youth, its largest and fastest-growing demographic and their pivotal role in shaping the continent’s future. Key discussions will centre on intergenerational learning, the creative economy as a catalyst for job creation, digital and human capacity development, and strengthening ties between continental and Diaspora Africans to unlock new opportunities in finance, trade, and employment.

The London edition will open with a special session at the UK Parliament on June 19, hosted by Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, the UK Trade Envoy to Ghana. A fundraising Charity Gala will follow on June 20 at the iconic Landmark Hotel in Marylebone.

Other side events include a welcome cocktail reception and a luncheon in honour of acclaimed Ghanaian photographer James Barnor, who will also feature in a fireside chat during the summit.

Ambassador Johanna Odonkor Svanikier, Founder and CEO of HACSA Foundation, expressed confidence in the summit’s potential to advance the gains of previous editions, particularly in support of the Tech4Girls Academy.

“Empowering Africa’s youth is not just an investment in our future but a necessity for the present,” she said. “By equipping young people, especially girls, with cutting-edge digital and life skills, we are building a generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers who can shape a prosperous and inclusive Africa.”

She also urged public and private stakeholders to support the completion of the Tech4Girls Academy campus in Kanda.

Kofi Okyere-Darko, Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, assured HACSA of his office’s commitment to ensuring productive engagement with diaspora participants.