Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (M) with Bottozah Bianah Bubune (3rd R) and flanked by Adelaide Mantey (R) and Leticia Makafui Ahiamadzi (3rd L)
A Level 300 student of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Bottozah Bianah Bubune yesterday emerged as the 2024 Miss Geek winner at the grand finale in Accra.
The 21-year-old was crowned the overall winner after beating nine other competitors with an innovative project aimed at monitoring illegal mining activities in remote areas.
Her mobile application ensures real-time data transmission and addresses the issue of limited internet connectivity in the various regions while providing a robust solution to combat illegal mining and its environmental impact.
She received GH¢10,000, a plaque and a certificate of participation, and would be given an opportunity by the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation to develop her project into a prototype and represent Ghana at the Miss Geek Africa Competition.
Miss Geek Africa is an international competition that started in Rwanda in 2014, and has expanded to other countries.
Girls between the ages of 13 and 21 are given opportunity to address issues facing their respective countries using technology, after which winners are selected to participate at the international level.
Miss Geek Ghana competition, which was launched on July 8, 2024, received 66Â applications from young girls between the ages of 13 to 21 years across the country after which 10 students were finally selected to participate at the final event.
A final year student of Aburi Girls Senior High School, Adelaide Mantey, placed second with her “Smart Agriculture System” which seeks to address the challenges of climate change and aims to improve crop yields.
According to the 15-year-old student, her project will enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability, ensuring that farmers can adapt to changing environmental conditions and secure better harvests.
She also received GH¢5,000, a laptop and an opportunity from the ministry to develop her concept into a prototype.
A twenty-year-old student of the University of Ghana, Leticia Makafui Ahiamadzi, placed third and received cash amount of GH¢4,500.
Leticia’s project focuses on digitising the environment using web-based data collection system, information systems, remote sensing, and web platforms like OpenStreetMap to collect and analyse data on environmental risks.
The project, she said, would help provide innovative solution to address challenges such as flooding, pollution, seismic activity, and illegal mining while providing crucial information to mitigate those risks.
A Junior High School student from the Greater Accra Region, Mensura Abdallah, also placed fourth with her concept ‘MyHealthQuest-MHQ’, which is an internet-based mobile app that provides 24/7 healthcare services to registered users.
She explained that the app allowed patients to chat with doctors, book appointments, and get their prescription or lab test, while Richardson Elorm Rhodaline emerged fifth with her platform to connect waste collectors to recyclers and regulatory bodies, to streamline e-waste collection and recycling with an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to managing waste. They both received a laptop, and a certificate of participation.
Speaking at the event, Minister for Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, encouraged the participants to “continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, embrace challenges, seek out new opportunities, and never stop learning.”
She also urged them to be determined and use ICT to solve societal challenges using the skills and knowledge they have acquired to serve wherever they found themselves.
She added, “Let us continue to support and inspire each other as we work towards a society where everyone, regardless of gender, can excel and make a difference. Let us build a future where gender is no barrier, technology knows no bounds, and every girl’s dream becomes a reality.”
She also thanked stakeholders and sponsors for their dedication and support towards investing in the dreams of the young girls, while calling on other institutions for support.
All 10 final contestants also received a laptop and certificate of participation.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah