Why would about 7,000 African youths gather at a spot for an event? What was so enticing and useful about a gathering that Nigerian students in higher institutions exchanged comfort for a six-hour event? Who advised some of these youngsters to spend more than long hours attending an event after traveling across the states?
This was what happened when the BCAT Africa 2022, convened by Tony Emeka, founder, and CEO of CryptoTvplus, was held on June 4, 2022, at the Amadeo Event Center, Enugu, South East, Nigeria. Enugu State, also known as Coal City, was filled with the presence of top crypto personalities, including the CEO of Xend Finance, Aronu Ugochukwu; the co-founder of House Africa, Nnamdi Uba; and others.
The African youth are a promising demographic that prioritizes the value presented to them. They possess a natural drive to better themselves, as well as their communities and the continent as a whole. It’s no surprise that many of them have enthusiastically embraced blockchain and crypto technology, willing to take chances and invest in the future.
Why BCAT Africa Event
Tony Emeka had a vision to improve the lives of young people in Africa, which led to the birth of BCAT Africa. His goal was to reach and empower 10 million Africans with knowledge of blockchain and cryptocurrency.
The project, which started in 2019, has been instrumental in shaping the lives of thousands of Africans. In 2019, it was held at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, with over 1,200 participants; the University of Port Harcourt, with 4,000 plus persons in attendance; and Obafemi Awolowo University, which attracted record breaking numbers of participants.
With over 600 million young people, Africa has an immense potential for creating change in the world. Tony Emeka recognized this potential and created BCAT Africa to help catalyze the transformation of this generation of African youth.
Impact of the BCAT Africa 2022 Event
The Binance-BCAT Africa event has had a profound impact, particularly on educating young people. In just one year, over 20 higher education institutions across the state and beyond have benefited from increased knowledge about cryptocurrency and blockchain.
Since the event took place in Enugu, Nigeria, more crypto events have been held across the city and country. Attendees have shared how their experience at the Binance-BCAT Africa event opened their eyes to the potential of blockchain and cryptocurrency as legitimate tools, instead of mere Ponzi schemes as often portrayed in mainstream media.
The BCAT Africa 2022 event, sponsored by Binance, Bundle Africa, Boundlesspay, Xendfinance, LeadWallet, and Smartguildio, has had several impacts.
One of them is the increase in blockchain communities based in schools throughout Nigeria. After attending the event, many people realized the importance of spreading the crypto and blockchain message to their schools, leading to the launch of several new communities. Additionally, attendees have been exposed to new work opportunities, resulting in an increase in their earning power.
The BCAT Africa program has helped individuals experience significant personal growth in their careers and financial status.
By volunteering during the event and participating in after-event training held in the Telegram community, they were able to secure better jobs and earn more money today.
As a result, we are seeing a rise in the number of emerging web3 developers, community managers, content creators, and other professionals who are meeting the demands of the ecosystem on a daily basis.
One other massive achievement of the event was the raising of $45,000 for the building of a blockchain hub in the city of Enugu by the Earnathon Foundation. The crypto community in Nigeria has shown huge commitment and resilience toward promoting crypto in and outside the country.
Looking ahead
The BCAT Program is poised to create a formidable pipeline of talented individuals who will drive the growth of the crypto ecosystem in Africa, with Nigeria taking a prominent leadership role in the years to come.
While Nigeria received the highest blockchain funding in 2022 after Seychelles, South Africa, Liberia, and Kenya, at $15.9 million, it was the second-highest in 2021 at $24.6 million.
Nigeria and Africa have seen the emergence of several blockchain-based startups, and many more are expected to follow suit as the continent starts leveraging available tools to solve its problems. Achieving this will require the collective efforts of all participants in the Web3 industry in Africa and around the world.
The BCAT Africa project has a dream – to help Africans harness the most important resource we have: our young people. Although Binance-BCAT Africa 2022 has come and gone, the journey continues. Let’s continue to celebrate and work towards this crucial goal.
So, what’s next?
Read also;
BCAT Africa 2022 brings crypto education to 7000 Nigerians
BCAT Africa: Reducing Unemployment in Africa
