A team of students from the University of Ghana has been awarded the Green Development Award at the just-ended Huawei Global ICT Competition, after developing an AI-powered solution to combat Ghana's persistent deforestation challenges.

The winning team comprised Wisdom Nana-Abena Ogbonna, Ryan Nii Akwei Brown, and Jehoaddan Ebrah Andoh.

Under the guidance of their lecturer, Julius Ludu, their project, "Climate Sentinel,"- an AI and Internet of Things (IoT) system - was designed to provide real-time monitoring and alert systems for Ghana's forest reserves.

Speaking about their "Climate Sentinel" project, team member Ryan Nii Akwei Brown noted that a news article they read, which stated that nine out of Ghana's forty-four forest reserves have been completely taken over by illegal miners, spurred them to tackle Ghana's deforestation struggle as their project focus.

“Climate Sentinel” addresses Ghana's deforestation through technology integration.

The system combines AI algorithms with IoT sensors to create a monitoring network that can detect deforestation activities in real-time across the country's forest reserves.

The solution uses artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IoT, big data, and other technologies as required by the competition's AI Innovation track, which challenges students to identify problems and develop solutions with social and commercial value.

The team's success came through participation in this year's competition, which reached a record-breaking scale in its 9th edition, attracting over 210,000 students and instructors from more than 2,000 colleges and universities in over 100 countries and regions, including Ghana.

To reach the global finals, 179 teams from 48 countries had to qualify from their respective national and regional competitions across three major tracks: Practice, Innovation, and Programming.

The Ghanaian team participated in the Innovation track, where they placed second at the regional competition, qualifying them for the Global Finals in China, where they subsequently won the Green Development Award.

Speaking on the award, the Head of Computer Science Department at the University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Owusu, commended Huawei for organising the ICT Competition.

He said, “The Huawei ICT competition allowed our students to demonstrate a collaborative spirit, and build their understanding of the fundamentals of ICT”.

He then emphasised the significance of the competition in preparing students for the ever-evolving tech industry, stating that it not only helps in sharpening their technical skills but is also vital in developing critical problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and innovation.

Prof. Owusu also expressed his gratitude to Huawei for their continued support in nurturing the next generation of ICT professionals in Ghana and beyond.

In his opening speech at the Closing and Awards Ceremony of the Global Finals, the Director, ICT Strategy and Business Development Dept at Huawei, Ritchie Peng, said: “To achieve the goal of learning through competition and inspiring innovation through competition, we have continuously evolved the design of competition topics.

"The Practice Competition aligns with our vision for an Intelligent World 2030 and encourages students to master cloud computing, big data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive social progress.

"The Innovation Competition focuses on green development and digital inclusion, motivating participants to solve real-world challenges in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education through ICT.”

Launched in 2015, the Huawei ICT Competition serves as an international platform for academic competition and technological exchange.

The annual event enables students and teachers to strengthen their ICT knowledge, improve practical skills, and foster innovation using current technologies and platforms.

The competition has been recognised as a key partner flagship program by UNESCO's Global Skills Academy, and it will continue to address the talent needs of the digital transformation era.