Young women from across Africa gathered in Rwanda’s capital this October to develop solutions addressing continental challenges through artificial intelligence. The Ms. Geek Africa 2025 competition brought together innovators aged 13 to 21, with Ghana’s Bubune Biana Bottozah representing the nation.
Girls in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Rwanda organised the event alongside Smart Africa Alliance, running the programme under the theme ‘AI for Africa: Innovate Locally, Impact Globally’. Eleven African nations sent representatives to the intensive bootcamp held in Kigali from October 13 to 17, 2025. Technology experts, investors and ecosystem leaders joined the young participants throughout the week.
Registration and orientation opened the programme, with Emily and the coaching team outlining expectations. Participants toured Smart Africa offices and visited the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Digital Transformation Centre before introducing their innovation projects.
Dr Jennifer Batamuliza facilitated hands-on training in Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking. Her sessions covered empathy mapping, problem definition, solution ideation, prototype design and testing. Working in small groups, participants identified social problems affecting their communities and developed creative responses, applying theoretical concepts to practical scenarios.
Olivia Kimutai led workshops on Leadership and Communication, focusing on storytelling techniques, presentation skills, confidence development, public speaking and collaborative teamwork. These sessions prepared participants to pitch their projects before judges. Each innovator recorded a brief video explaining their project’s problem statement and anticipated impact.
Christine Ansong, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Ghana Digital Centres Limited, led Ghana’s delegation. She highlighted the platform’s importance for Ghanaian women in technology. “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,” Ansong stated.
Representatives from Girls in ICT Rwanda delivered mentorship sessions throughout the bootcamp. They shared career development insights, encouraging participants toward sustained engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
Charles Shyaka conducted Business Development training on commercialising innovations and converting concepts into sustainable products ready for market. His curriculum included customer targeting strategies spanning business-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) models. Participants learned methodologies for identifying appropriate end users.
Ansong emphasised the experience’s enduring value beyond competition outcomes. “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 noted.
The intensive programme equipped participants with technical capabilities, business acumen and confidence required to transform concepts into functional solutions addressing African challenges.
