Avenor Senior High School has emerged winner of the maiden AI4SD RAIL Robotics Challenge organised by the Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development (AI4SD) project at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. The team scored an impressive 112 points to claim the top spot among 14 competing schools.
The AI4SD RAIL Robotics Challenge, supported and funded by the French Embassy in Ghana, aims to build digital and artificial intelligence (AI) literacy among young learners. As part of the initiative, 45 laptops were donated and distributed to beneficiary schools to strengthen their capacity in robotics and AI education.
In the Senior High category, Tamale Senior High School placed second with 35 points, while Peki Senior High School followed in third place with 27.5 points.
In the Basic School category, Dagbamate Basic School Team 1 emerged first with a perfect score of 100 points, followed by Dagbamate Team 2 with 87.5 points, and Achimota Basic School Team 2, which also scored 87.5 points, placing third.
Professor Jerry John Kponyo, Project Lead of AI4SD, said the competition provided a platform for students to demonstrate the skills they had gained through AI-focused training and mentorship.
“AI has come to stay, and there is every reason to build our capacity and fluency in this transformative technology to secure our collective future,” he said.
Prof. Kponyo noted that, through partnerships with the French Embassy, 22 schools across 11 regions have received robotics kits to promote hands-on learning. He expressed appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor, the Provost of the College of Engineering, and the project’s partners for their support, reaffirming AI4SD’s commitment to nurturing young innovators capable of driving Africa’s technological transformation.
He commended the Ghana Education Service (GES) and other partners for their collaboration and called on education stakeholders to integrate AI and robotics into the national curriculum.
“We must ensure that the students we are training are not only academically brilliant but also technologically skilled and innovative,” he said.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor David Asamoah, praised the initiative for inspiring young minds to harness the potential of AI and robotics for national development.
“Over the years, robotics has attracted a lot of attention globally, and KNUST has played its part. In securing the future of our children, KNUST, through RAIL and the AI4SD project, has been instrumental in setting up robotics and AI clubs to help build the needed 21st-century skills,” he said.
Prof. Asamoah reaffirmed KNUST’s commitment to advancing STEM education and promoting AI and robotics nationwide.
“We will continue to create platforms that inspire creativity, reward innovation, and prepare our young minds for leadership in a rapidly evolving digital world,” he said.
Representing the French Embassy, Ms. Elizabeth Morzadec expressed her delight at witnessing the creativity and enthusiasm of the students. She said today’s generation is growing up in one of the most exciting and fast-changing times in history, where technologies such as AI and robotics are transforming the world.
“You have more tools, more information, and more opportunities than any generation before you. What you are doing here is not just a competition; it’s an investment in your future,” she said.
She commended the participation of young girls in the competition, stressing that science, coding, and robotics are for everyone.
“The best teams and the best ideas come from men and women thinking together and bringing different perspectives to solve the same problem,” she said.
Ms. Morzadec reaffirmed the French Embassy’s commitment to supporting innovation and education in Ghana, adding that “innovation doesn’t only happen in labs or big tech companies, but in schools, classrooms, and communities like yours.”
“France continues to learn from the creativity, optimism, and curiosity of Ghanaian students,” she added.
