By Mohammed AWAL
The Ministry of Communications and Digitalization has announced the launch of the Ms. Geek Ghana 2024 competition, aimed at unearthing innovative ideas from young girls across the country.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry for Communication and Digitalisation, led by Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the sector minister seeks to promote and encourage the talents of girls aged 13 to 21 in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT).
In its second edition, the competition aims to inspire young girls to develop ICT solutions and innovations that address contemporary challenges in various sectors such as health, sanitation, e-commerce, and more.
Speaking at the launch of the 2024 edition the Minister said the goal is to discover more brilliant ideas that could not only win competitions within Ghana but also positively impact internationally.
In 2019, the Ministry of Communications adopted the Ms. Geek Africa concept and organized the first Ms. Geek Ghana Competition where eligible young ladies submitted concepts aimed at solving everyday community problems through technological innovations in Ghanaian society.
The first edition successfully unearthed the idea of a voice-activated mobile money solution from Selasi Domi-Kuwornu.
“The Ms. Geek Ghana 2024 competition, which we have launched today, aims to uncover the innovative talents of young girls in our country. It is important to note that it is not only boys who have ideas; there are contemporary challenges and problems around us that can be addressed with ICT solutions. Therefore, we are encouraging young girls aged between 13 and 21 to explore and develop solutions to some of the many problems that surround us,” she said.
The overall winner of Ms. Geek Ghana 2019, Ms. Selasi Ama Domi-Kuwornu developed an Electronic Pilfering in Mobile Money (Kasa-Cash System) concept, an innovative solution that seeks to protect Ghanaians especially the underprivileged who were illiterate and were duped or defrauded by associates who could be close relations whilst using their mobile money applications.
This groundbreaking innovation went on to win an African competition and has the potential to revolutionize financial access for persons with disabilities. The success story serves as a testament to the untapped potential of young girls in Ghana, the minister added.
The competition is open to girls from all parts of Ghana, and participants are encouraged to submit ICT-based solutions and innovations. The Ministry expressed confidence that through its ongoing ICT education programmes, thousands of girls now have basic coding and technical skills to develop marketable solutions.
The Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence will provide mentoring and support to groom submitted ideas. Shortlisted participants will have the opportunity to pitch their solutions, and the winner will receive sponsorship and support to further develop their innovation.
Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful advised young girls to continue innovating, learning new skills, and pushing boundaries with their ideas. She emphasized that it is possible for them to make a significant impact and encouraged them not to be discouraged by naysayers.
The current reigning champion of Ms. Geek Africa, Selasi Ama Domi-Kuwornu, described her experience as intriguing but also challenging. She encouraged women to take up tech courses and competitions to help solve problems in their countries and continents.
She also mentioned that young girls who participate in this year’s edition should practice a lot, do research, and develop solutions that can help improve livelihood.
