Canon restates Africa education commitment with summit partnership

The next Innovation Summit, which brings African policy makers together to discuss the subject of education, will be held December 3-5, 2019 in Accra, Ghana.

Key for Canon Central and North Africa which will be attending it as a partner for the first time, and its partnership further affirms its commitment to its ongoing investment in the education of young African professionals, participants are expected from over 40 countries.

Active in Africa for 15 years now, education is one of the key areas of commitment in Africa for Canon, and its Miraisha Program, launched in 2014 in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda has implemented many initiatives to support young Africans.

The demographic change of the continent is extremely dynamic. By 2050, Africa’s population will double, growing from 1 billion today to 2.4 billion in 30 years, and half of this figure will be under-25s.

Faced with this positive scenario, the Miraisha Program aims to develop employment in key African markets through regular education initiatives.

This is the objective that has since been met through several iconic partnerships.

In Ghana, Canon partnered with MFI Ghana to help train and advance the skills of 22 printers in Accra and the surrounding region that are currently struggling with an influx of international suppliers that threaten their market share. Colour management, use of dedicated software and in-store services are just a few of the training points that selected printers touch on during their courses.

In Nigeria, Canon has become a partner at the School of Arts, Design & Printing at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos and 80 students have benefited from a week of training by an expert coach from Canon, giving them access to the latest generation of printing machines.

In Kenya, Canon has signed a partnership with the Kenya Film Commission, the promotion body for the Kenyan film industry, established by the government in 2005. This partnership has led to the formation of a video club to spread awareness of and promote the film industry, as well as the establishment of training sessions for local directors and producers, giving them the opportunity to write and shoot a short film within a six-day period on digital camera units.

In Uganda, Canon is supporting the Uganda Press Photo Award (UPPA) for a fourth year. The eighth edition of the photography and photo-journalism competition rewards Ugandan and East-African photographers and photo-journalists whose work represent a remarkable contribution to African photography, freedom of information and education in the visual image. This support includes a mentoring program for three young photographers at a time who can enjoy the use of photographic equipment and a scholarship.

A range of presentations, including one by Somesh Adukia, the Managing Director of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA), will emphasize the existence of opportunities for exchanges at the Africa Summit with exhibitors and different government representatives all in attendance at a unique event on 3 December. All attendees at the event are encouraged to engage the Canon delegation for further discussions.