By:
Nana Appiah Acquaye
Nigerian
students have delivered a strong performance at the Huawei Global ICT
Competition in China, securing multiple top prizes and reinforcing the
country’s growing reputation in global technology talent development.
The
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani,
hosted the returning students and commended their achievements after they
competed against teams from around the world in the annual competition.
The
15 students, drawn from Ahmadu Bello University, Igbinedion University,
University of Lagos, Federal University of Technology Minna, University of Port
Harcourt, and Nasarawa State University Keffi, participated after advancing
through national and regional stages of the Huawei ICT Academy programme.
At
the global finals, Team Nigeria secured two Grand Prizes in the Network and
Innovation categories, two First Prizes in the Cloud track, and one Second
Prize in Computing, making Nigeria the most successful country in the
competition outside China for the third consecutive year.
The
Minister noted that the performance reflects the growing depth of technical
skills among Nigerian youth and the impact of sustained investment in digital
education and innovation programmes.
A
standout contribution came from the Innovation Team at Ahmadu Bello University,
which developed a solar-powered diagnostic tool using Huawei AI, Cloud and
Ascend technologies. The device is capable of testing for malaria and
intestinal parasites in under three minutes without requiring internet
connectivity.
Officials
said the solution demonstrates how emerging technology can be applied to
address pressing local health challenges while also showcasing the global
competitiveness of Nigerian innovation.
Dr.
Tijani indicated that efforts are underway to connect the student innovators
with further support and opportunities to scale their solutions and deepen
their impact within the country’s digital ecosystem.
