Frank Owusu, a Ghanaian aquapreneur and graduate of the Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management at KNUST, has been named one of four finalists for the prestigious 2025 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Owusu’s innovation, Aquamet, is a smart water quality monitoring device that helps smallholder fish farmers reduce mortality rates and increase yields. The technology tracks pH, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature, key indicators of fish health and sends real-time alerts and recommendations to farmers via mobile phone. The platform also provides digital record-keeping, access to extension services, and a marketplace linking producers with buyers.
Farmers using Aquamet report yield increases of 10–15%, a significant improvement in a sector where losses of up to 45% are common. Since being shortlisted, Owusu has secured two major distribution partnerships across West Africa and is now collaborating with the British High Commission and CEFAS on an Animal Health System Strengthening Project. He is also supporting Ghana’s Fish for Development Project to build capacity among aquaculture practitioners.
The Africa Prize Final will be held on 16 October 2025 in Dakar, Senegal, where the finalists will pitch for a £50,000 award to scale their impact. The event marks the culmination of eight months of business training and mentoring.