The company has also announced the continuation of ‘Google for Startups Accelerator program’ for African startups
Offering support to developers and startups in Africa, Google, Inc., has announced the launch of 40,000 developer scholarships across the mobile and cloud development niche. These scholarships will be provided in partnership with tech talent companies Andela and Pluralsight.
In an official statement, Google affirmed that it will give full scholarships (along with certifications in Android & cloud development) to 1,000 students by the end of the training. In addition to this, Google has also announced the continuation of ‘Google for Startups Accelerator program’ for African firms.
Onajite Emerhor, Head of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, said that ‘due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the company had to launch its first virtual class of the accelerator program in the country’.
‘It was the first all-online iteration of the program for Africa and saw participation of 20 startups from seven countries that underwent a 12-week virtual journey to reevaluate their offering while receiving guidance and attending workshops’, she said.
Reports claim that Google for Startups Accelerator has worked with up to 50 startups across 17 countries in Africa. In 2020, the program selected 20 startups from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. Now the program is keen to include additional countries like Egypt, Tanzania, Senegal, and Uganda.
Nitin Gajria, MD of Google Sub-Saharan Africa, stated that growth of entrepreneurship is vital, especially in Africa. Developers and startups in Africa play a critical role in the revolutionizing the region’s economy, generating new opportunities and paving the way for social and economic development on the continent. Google recognizes Africa’s exceptional digital potential, and is committed to providing this critical support for startups in Africa, Mr. Nitin added.
Source Credit: https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/29/google-to-offer-40000-developer-scholarships-in-africa-continues-accelerator-program/