3D Africa News

YTF’s HackforGood Brings Together Developers, Designers

July 2017

Highlights: (YTF) is hosting a three-day hackathon event, HackforGood, as a design and prototype challenge for 25 participants to develop functional prototypes that address the real-world needs of their communities. Read more …


The Youth for Technology Foundation to Host HackforGood Hackathon in Anambra State
July 2017

July 2017

Highlights: The hackathon also gives participants the opportunity to win prizes and have access to the latest 3D printing hardware, software, Internet of Things development platforms, tools and industry experts. Read more …


Meet the Winners of 3D Africa’s 2017 HackforGood Challenge

July 2017

The 25 participants, from diverse fields, worked on prototypes aimed at solving specific problems in the agriculture, health, security, and transportation sectors. Meet the winning teams.
Read more …


How Technology Has Changed Entrepreneurship in Nigeria

NBCvideo


3D Africa wins MakerBot’s #Makermilestones competition showcasing innovation with 3D Printing in Africa

June 27, 2016


General Electric GE Reports: “Njideka Harry: 4th Industrial Revolution Lies at the Intersection of Education and Entrepreneurship in Africa”

January 25, 2016

Highlights: “With the right tools and training, young innovators in Africa have the opportunity to skip the second industrial revolution—traditional mass production—and leapfrog straight to digital manufacturing. This, in turn, can provide them with a path out of poverty. The 4th Industrial Revolution is driven by newer technologies, such as 3D printing, that are changing industrial processes by accelerating them and making them more flexible.” Read more …


PPG Industries Foundation Press Release: PPG Foundation Donates to YTF for 3D Printing Academy

December 23, 2015

Highlight: “At PPG, we believe it’s crucial to ensure we are equipping today’s youth with the necessary tools and information to help them succeed in engineering and science careers,” said Chris Smith, Louisville plant manager, PPG Architectural Coatings. “Programs such as YTF’s 3D Printing Academy are a great way to educate today’s youth about using the latest technology for innovation.” Read more …


3DPRINT.COM: “3D Printing for Sustainable Economic Development in Africa”

November 12, 2015

Highlights: I’ve noticed a common refrain in today’s news cycle: in order to remain viable in the global economy, countries need to get behind 3D printing, and fast. Africa, which has been experiencing an encouraging amount of growth across the continent, hasn’t seen much of a reduction in poverty and unemployment, unfortunately. When trying to solidify the presence of a particular technology in a society’s future, it pays to get the youngest citizens excited about a technology early on. It may be a small step, but it’s an important step. Read more…


World Economic Forum Video: “3D Printing and Gender—A Driver of Economic Growth”



June 5, 2015

YTF’s President discusses technology, gender inclusiveness, and the impact it can have on countries’ Gross Domestic Product.


World Economic Forum: “Q&A: 60 Seconds with Njideka Harry”

June 4, 2015

Q: What’s your solution for solving Africa’s skills crisis?

A: The educational system in Africa is not broken, it’s obsolete. The success of the African continent in the 21st century—its wealth and welfare—will depend on the ideas and the skills of its population. As the world becomes increasingly technological, the value of these assets will be determined by the effectiveness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.  STEM education will help produce the flexible workforce needed to compete in a global marketplace while ensuring that our society continues to make fundamental discoveries. Read more…


TechCrunch: “Youth for Technology’s 3D Africa Program Wants to Get More Girls into STEM Subjects”

January 26, 2015

Highlights: It is important to get more African girls interested in STEM subjects because many of them are discouraged from pursuing engineering, science, or math. “There are cultural biases that hold that science is the domain of males and that it is not important for girls’ future lives and that girls are not as capable as boys when it comes to science learning.” 3D printing is a good way to get more students hooked on STEM subjects because they need to use science, engineering, and math skills to design and print 3D objects. Then the items they create serve as tangible reminders of what they can do with STEM skills. Read more…


General Electric GE Reports: “Design-Driven Innovations—an End to Extreme Poverty”

January 21, 2015

Highlights: ‘Made in Africa’ instead of Aid to Africa. Africa’s technology entrepreneurs have quickly become the vanguard of innovation on the continent. The Maker Movement is gaining serious traction—Africans everywhere are using ordinary materials to solve everyday problems in a sustainable way. 21st century 3D printing technologies will provide local communities with the ability to produce and market products for domestic use and export, giving ordinary Africans the chances the educational system has not. Read more…


Medium: “Inspiring a Generation of Curious Youth”

January 19, 2015

Blurb: For over 15 years, our goal at YTF has been to create a generation of curious doers — young people who through their inquisitiveness are able to answer their own questions and want to own the solutions. We believe youth living in developing countries are not the problem but rather part of the solution and should be involved in the design from the onset. Creating more job opportunities for youth is critical to the transformative growth of Africa. The digital economy holds significant potential for youth to engage as employers themselves or employees. Read more…