The Ms. Geek Africa 2025 competition brought together brilliant young women aged 13 to 21 from across the continent to tackle Africa’s most pressing challenges through artificial intelligence and innovation. Organised by Girls in ICT Rwanda in partnership with Smart Africa Alliance, the competition ran under the theme “AI for Africa: Innovate Locally, Impact Globally”.
Ghana’s representative, Ms Bubune Biana Bottozah, joined finalists from eleven African countries for an intensive bootcamp in Kigali, Rwanda, from 13th to 17th October 2025. The event attracted not only talented young innovators but also ecosystem leaders, investors, and technology experts from across the region.
The week kicked off with registration and orientation, where Emily and the coaching team set expectations for the days ahead. Participants toured the Smart Africa offices and the Digital Transformation Centre run by GIZ before introducing themselves and sharing their innovation projects.
Dr Jennifer Batamuliza led a hands-on session on Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking, guiding participants through empathy mapping, problem definition, solution ideation, prototype design, and testing. Working in small groups, the young women identified social problems in their communities and developed creative solutions, putting classroom concepts into practice.
Mrs Olivia Kimutai facilitated a session on Leadership and Communication, focusing on storytelling, presentation techniques, confidence building, public speaking, and teamwork. This prepared participants to pitch their projects effectively to the judges. Each participant recorded a one-minute video about their project, explaining the problem they were solving and the potential impact of their innovation.
Ms Christine Ansong, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Ghana Digital Centres Limited, who led Ghana’s delegation to the event, emphasised the importance of such platforms for young Ghanaian women. “Programmes like Ms. Geek Africa are vital in nurturing the next generation of female tech leaders across the continent. We’re proud to support our representative as she learns, competes, and networks with her peers from across Africa,” she said.
Mentorship played a key role throughout the bootcamp. A representative from Girls in ICT Rwanda shared insights on building careers in STEM, encouraging the participants to pursue long-term goals in science and technology.
Charles Shyaka led a Business Development session on commercialising innovations and turning ideas into sustainable, market-ready products. He covered customer targeting strategies including B2C, B2B, and B2G approaches, helping participants understand how to identify the right end users for their solutions.
Ms Ansong noted that the experience would have a lasting impact beyond the competition itself. “What these young women gain here, from technical skills to confidence and networks, will serve them throughout their careers. Ghana Digital Centres remains committed to creating opportunities that empower young people, particularly women, to thrive in the digital economy,” she added.
The bootcamp equipped these young innovators with technical skills, business knowledge, and the confidence to transform their ideas into solutions that can make a real difference across Africa.
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