The 1999 Year Group of the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC-Legon) will celebrate the school’s 86th anniversary with the launch of a cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab funded by the year group alumni with support from the school administration, the PRESEC-Legon global alumni president, Dr. Ernest Ofori Sarpong, and corporate backers.

The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at the PRESEC campus in Legon, Accra.

The President of the 1999 Year Group, Wonder Madilo, has emphasised the role the AI Lab will play in setting a high bar for STEM education in Ghana in an era where successive governments in the country have, in a bipartisan manner, made “digitalisation” a national priority.

As conceptualised by the 1999 Year Group of PRESEC alumni, the facility, branded the Odadee 99 eXperience Center, aims to position Ghanaian and African talent at the forefront of the global digital transformation.

The AI Lab Project Finance & Communication Chair, Richard Ansong, also a Partner at top consulting firm, PwC Ghana, outlined a series of plans to blend the robotics, AI research, machine learning literacy, and other hard skills with the soft skills that will make it possible to bridge the wide gulf between what employers in Ghana require and what students are taught in the classroom.

Whilst there are a number of AI initiatives in other secondary schools in West Africa, it is believed that this is the first purpose-built facility of its kind in the sub-region focused on giving secondary school students a head-start before their university career in meeting the fast-changing needs of industry.

The facility, which is designed to be fully solar-powered, is also intended to meet the highest green certification standards. 

The imposing edifice covers a significant tract of land near the school’s new canteen and features spaces for a computing array, a robotics display setup, design studios, and lecture & coworking settings.

By prioritizing innovation and technological development, the lab intends to empower young minds to influence Ghana’s future in digitalization and nationally relevant artificial intelligence.

 The 1999 Year Group intends to announce additional sustainability measures at the handover ceremony planned for 30th November 2024, during the school’s 86th Anniversary Speech & Prize-giving day.

The Headmaster of the School, Mr. David Odjija, congratulated the 1999 year group for contributing massively to PRESEC's enduring legacy of excellence in education and innovation.

He said that the vision of the 1999 Year Group underscores their commitment to advancing technology and education in Ghana, embodying PRESEC's motto: "In Lumine Tuo Videbimus Lumen" (In Your Light, We Shall See Light).

He further expressed his appreciation to the hundreds of donors from the year group, whilst acknowledging the role of early project sponsors like Nana Owiredu Wadie I, the Nkosouhene of Kwahu-Nkwatia for helping build momentum.

A technical advisor to the project, Yaw Nti-Addae, a computational biologist and data engineer in the United States, expressed great optimism that the 99 Year Group, of which he is a member, will continue to support the optimal functioning of the Lab. 

He also urged corporate organisations, philanthropists, foundations, and all champions of African innovation to step up and offer support in this quest of ensuring that Africa is not left behind in the highly competitive world that AI is creating.

With this monumental achievement in the bag, PRESEC-Legon is set to have a exciting event on 30th November 2024 that will combine the school’s rich traditions with a forward-thinking approach to education and innovation.