MTN Ghana’s Girls Code Hackathon Crowns Winners

21h ago | Source: BusinessGhana

Mr David Narh, Manager for Digital Growth at MTN with the winners

The final event of MTN Ghana's 30-Hour Girls Code Hackathon concluded with Locked In emerging as the overall winner for their innovative project in fintech and cybersecurity. Real Woman placed second, while A Connect took third place.

Themed “Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity, and AI,” the hackathon brought together 100 young women from tertiary institutions across Ghana to develop tech-driven solutions to real-world societal challenges.

Florence Tofa, Director of Mobile Web Ghana, praised the participants' commitment and passion throughout the event. "I'm really amazed at the energy and enthusiasm, they came prepared to sleep over," she said. Madam Tofa emphasized the importance of locally relevant innovation, referencing projects such as digital medication reminder alerts and platforms for blood donation.

Robert Kuzoe, Senior Manager at the MTN Ghana Foundation, reiterated the foundation’s commitment to building soft skills and empowering young women in tech, particularly in engineering and other traditionally male-dominated sectors.

“We are passionate about women breaking grounds in male-dominated industries,” Mr Kuzoe said, adding that the initiative was part of MTN’s broader mission to equip youth with marketable skills and the ability to address pressing social issues.

Anita Twum-Ampofo, Head of Technology Service Management at Absa Bank Ghana, highlighted the broader societal value of initiatives like the Girls Code Hackathon.

“Supporting Girls Code is about encouraging more women to pursue careers in technology, and expanding the talent pool available to society,” she noted, stressing the long-term role such events played in advancing Ghana’s tech ecosystem.

Each member of the winning teams, Locked In, Real Woman, and A Connect, received prizes including tablets, keyboards, wireless mice, headsets, and books.

The event formed part of MTN Ghana’s broader digital inclusion strategy, aimed at narrowing the digital divide and inspiring more young women to explore careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The MTN Ghana Foundation has indicated its commitment to continuing such initiatives to build a more inclusive digital future.