Edition 2026 | Tɛkyerɛma Pa Hackathon

Grand finale results

The Winners

After five finalist presentations and the judges’ deliberation, these teams took the top prizes on 30 October 2026.

2nd Place
Team Code Craft
GH₵20,000
1st Place
Team Vomo
GH₵70,000
3rd Place
Team Kasapon
GH₵10,000

131 teams · 5 finalists

The Finalists

Five teams made it through the ideation sprint and mentor reviews to present at the grand finale, listed here in their order of presentation.

01
2nd Place
Team Code Craft
A diverse University of Ghana team combining Computer Science, AI, backend, database, frontend, and accessibility expertise.
02
3rd Place
Team Kasapon
Uniting Computer Science talent from the University of Ghana and KNUST, with a shared focus on full stack development.
03
1st Place
Team Vomo
A multidisciplinary team from KNUST and Rarbl, blending technology, media, pharmacy, and operational perspectives.
04
Team Nexus
An interdisciplinary University of Ghana team combining Computer Science, Mathematics, Political Science, and Psychology.
05
Team Manex
Bringing together graduates from Academic City University and the University of Ghana, with strengths across Computer Science and Computer Engineering.

AI Summit · Executive panel

The Panel Discussion

Shaping an Inclusive and Accessible AI Future in Ghana: Perspectives from Industry, Academia, Government and Persons with Disabilities

Panellist
Prof. Ebenezer Owusu
Professor of Artificial Intelligence & Head, Department of Computer Science, University of Ghana
Panellist
Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann
Dean, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Ghana
Panellist
Mr. Chris Dare
Enterprise Architecture Lead, AI/ML Platforms, MTN Ghana
Panellist
Mr. Kwaku Agbesi
Chief Commercial Officer, Digital Umuganda

The journey

How the 2026 edition unfolded

From the first registrations in July to the grand finale at the Great Hall, every milestone of the 2026 edition is complete.

Registration opens20 July 2026
Awareness campaign3–10 August 2026
Registration deadline10 August 2026
Online bootcamp17 August – 1 September 2026
Ideation sprint & mentor reviews7 September – 22 October 2026
Hackathon week25–30 October 2026
Grand finale30 October 2026
Post-hackathon follow-up with teamsUp nextNovember – December 2026

Guided by experience

Meet the Mentors

Learn from researchers, engineers, and founders bringing deep expertise to the 2026 mentorship programme.

01

Business, Engineering & Impact

Software engineering, scalability, market viability, startup development, and impact assessment

Mentor

Mr. Benjamin Arhin-Acquaah

Benjamin Arhin-Acquaah is a software engineer with experience building products across startups, fintech, banking, and technology. He holds a degree in Computer Science from KNUST and has worked with organisations including CalBank, Goldman Sachs, and WeWire. He is also a founding engineer at Kook Technologies and currently builds technology products within the financial services industry. Benjamin is passionate about engineering, entrepreneurship, and community engagement, with an interest in building products, understanding the business behind them, and creating solutions that have real-world impact.

02

Computer Vision & Agentic AI

Object and obstacle detection, vision systems, and agentic automation

Mentor

Prof. Justice Kwame Appati

Prof. Justice Kwame Appati is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and an Applied Mathematician whose research spans Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Machine Learning, Digital Health, Mathematical Modelling, High-Performance Computing, and intelligent decision-support systems. He has led interdisciplinary research, secured competitive grants, supervised postgraduate research, and developed AI-driven solutions for healthcare, education, and digital transformation. His expertise combines rigorous mathematical modelling with practical AI deployment, making him well suited for international research collaborations, consultancy, and capacity-building initiatives.

Mentor

Mr. Labaran Adamu Mohammed

Labaran is software engineer with experience building products across startups, EdTech, fintech, and technology. He holds a degree in Computer Science from KNUST and has worked with organisations including Coursera and Nalo Solutions.

03

Accessibility & Personalization

Inclusive design, assistive technologies, accessibility testing, and personalization

Mentor

Prof. Augustina Naami

Prof. Naami is an expert in disability and social work, with research spanning disability, mental health, intersecting vulnerabilities, social policy, and climate change. She brings both theoretical insight and practical experience from Ghana and the United States. Her leadership in innovative research includes the use of photovoice methodology and the assessment of emerging technologies for their inclusivity for persons with disabilities. Currently, she serves as an Associate Professor of Disability in Social Work, the first of its kind in Ghana, a pioneering role that provides her with significant leverage to shape and advance disability research and practice in the country.

Mentor

Mr. Timothy Owusu

Mr. Timothy Owusu is the Founder and CEO of myCompany365, iKolilu, and LangXChange AI Labs. He developed the first online registration system in Ghana in 2003. He is a seasoned full-stack developer and product strategist with more than 15 years of experience in software engineering, data systems, and digital transformation across education, government, and enterprise sectors. With deep expertise in AI, database management, and scalable systems architecture, Timothy leads the vision and execution of innovative technology solutions that drive operational efficiency and measurable impact. He is passionate about leveraging technology to solve complex problems and improve outcomes across Africa.

04

AI & Language Technologies

ASR, TTS, NLP, machine learning, LLMs, and conversational AI

Mentor

Ms. Akosua Nyarkoa Wiafe-Akenten

Akosua is an Artificial Intelligence Engineer with professional experience in Data Analytics and Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) consultancy. Her technical and research experience focuses on the application of Artificial Intelligence to language technologies, particularly through Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning techniques. Her research has explored areas including Large Language Models (LLMs), Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Machine Translation, and Chatbot development. She is particularly interested in leveraging AI-driven technologies to address real-world challenges, especially in inclusive and low-resource contexts.

Mentor

Mr. Evans Kwasi

Evans Kwasi is an AI/ML researcher and software developer with experience in building AI technologies for low-resource African languages. As a researcher at the University of Ghana’s DCS HCI Lab, he has worked on TTS, ASR and LLM projects. He also co-founded Techline Systems, building security systems for homes, school management systems, and business solutions for SMEs. He is interested in building innovative technological solutions that solve real, everyday problems for people and communities.

05

Fintech & Digital Services

MoMo APIs, digital payments, security, and financial inclusion

Mentor

Mr. Joshua Kwabla

Joshua Kwashie Kwabla is a Data Scientist and AI Researcher with professional experience spanning banking, business intelligence, and financial services technology. His technical and research work focuses on machine learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP), including Automatic Speech Recognition and Large Language Models, applied to healthcare communication in multilingual, low-literacy settings. He brings this combined expertise in financial systems and inclusive AI design to mentor teams in the Fintech & Digital Services category at the MTN Ghana Tekyeremapa Hackathon, guiding solutions around MoMo APIs, digital payments, security, and financial inclusion.

Mentor

Mr. Worthy Elijah

Worthy Elijah is a Information Technology professional with experience spanning telecommunications, consulting, international development, and public sector organizations. He currently works with MTN Ghana, where he leads initiatives in business continuity, crisis management, technology risk, and operational resilience. A Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) , ISO 22301 and 27001 Lead Implementer and ISO 31000 Risk Manager. Worthy has expertise in cybersecurity, digital transformation, governance, and enterprise risk management. He is passionate about mentoring emerging innovators and helping teams build secure, scalable, and impactful digital solutions that address real-world African challenges.

Mentor

Winston Nii Kwartei Quartey

Winston Nii Kwartei Quartey is a dedicated professional with a background in mechanical engineering and material science. He currently leads API and New Business at Mobile Money Fintech Limited, where he drives partnerships and integrations that expand the company's digital payments ecosystem. Over the course of his career, Winston has also built experience in blockchain solutions, applying his understanding of emerging technologies to develop innovative, secure approaches to digital transactions. Previously, Winston held product and growth roles at Farmerline, Talkroom, Omegoat Labs, and Bitsika Social spanning platform management for agritech solutions, user engagement, marketing campaigns, and app expansion across multiple African countries. Winston is passionate about using technology from fintech to blockchain to agriculture to create positive, lasting change.

06

UX/UI

User-centred design, prototyping, interaction design, and usability testing

Mentor

Dr. Sarah Dsane

Sarah Dsane-Nsor is a Computer Science lecturer, Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) researcher, and UX/UI expert with over 10 years of experience in teaching, research, and mentoring. Her work focuses on user-centred and inclusive design, particularly designing digital solutions for underserved and low-resource communities. She has expertise in UX research, user experience design, usability evaluation, and participatory design. Sarah is passionate about mentoring students, early-career researchers, and women in STEM, and supporting the development of inclusive and impactful technology solutions.

Mentor

Mr. Praise Olutuase

Praise Olutuase is a Principal Consultant at Public Digital, part of its Global Impact team, where he helps governments and private-sector organisations across the UK and Africa design services that put people first. He is a user-centred, research-driven practitioner with over ten years of experience across government, academia, industry, and startups. He co-founded Nigeria Votes, a non-partisan civic platform that helps Nigerians register to vote, know who they are voting for, and observe elections at their own polling units. Building it surfaced how much opportunity there is to strengthen user-centred design across Africa's public services. He has also contributed to government-facing design work in the region, including a service-design engagement with the Government of Ghana. Praise believes good design is not a finishing touch — it is the difference between a service that exists and one that works. He brings this conviction to the UX/UI category, guiding teams to translate real user needs into intuitive, accessible interfaces for multilingual and diverse communities.

07

Product, Data & Digital Transformation

Product Management, Digital Transformation, Data Analytics, Customer Experience, Digital Service Development, Product Strategy, Decision Support, Quality Assurance

Mentor

Mr. Worthy Elijah

Worthy Elijah is a Information Technology professional with experience spanning telecommunications, consulting, international development, and public sector organizations. He currently works with MTN Ghana, where he leads initiatives in business continuity, crisis management, technology risk, and operational resilience. A Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) , ISO 22301 and 27001 Lead Implementer and ISO 31000 Risk Manager. Worthy has expertise in cybersecurity, digital transformation, governance, and enterprise risk management. He is passionate about mentoring emerging innovators and helping teams build secure, scalable, and impactful digital solutions that address real-world African challenges.

Mentor

Ms. Tabitha Aidoo

Tabitha Aidoo is a Customer Service Representative at MTN Ghana with nearly five years of experience in customer service across the MTN Ghana Call Center and Retail Centers. She is currently based at the Teshie Branch. Working at the frontline of customer engagement has given Tabitha valuable insight into customer needs, pain points, expectations, and behaviours in the digital space. She is passionate about promoting excellent customer service and bridging the gap between customers and technology providers to support customer-centred product innovation. Her interests include leveraging customer feedback and data to improve digital services and contribute to the development of inclusive, intuitive, and user-friendly solutions that respond to real customer needs.

Mentor

Mrs Muriel M. Nartey

Ms Muriel is a technology and digital product professional with over a decade expertise spanning product management, artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT, data, and digital transformation. She currently works in Digital Enablement at MTN Ghana, where she drives the development of digital products and technology solutions that connect business needs with customer value. With a BSc in Computer Science and an MSc in IoT & Big Data, Muriel brings a strong blend of technical, commercial, and product expertise, with experience across telecommunications, enterprise technology, and digital innovation. As a hackathon mentor, she helps teams transform bold ideas into user-centred, technically viable, and scalable products—from identifying the right problem and validating the solution to defining the MVP, leveraging AI/ML effectively, and building a compelling product story.

Grand finale panel

Meet the Judges

Academics, industry leaders, and advocates who assessed the five finalist teams at the 30 October grand finale.

Read the event brochure

Judge
Prof. Ferdinand Apietu Katsriku
Computer Scientist & Engineer · University of Ghana
Professor Ferdinand Apietu Katsriku is a computer scientist and engineer with extensive academic experience in Ghana and the United Kingdom. He holds an MEng with Distinction in Computer Systems Engineering, an MSc in Laser Engineering and Pulsed Power Technology, and a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Before joining the University of Ghana in 2012, he taught at Middlesex University in London, where he led the MSc Computer Networks programme. At the University of Ghana, he served as Head of the Department of Computer Science from 2012 to 2018 and led the introduction of its MSc, MPhil and PhD programmes in Computer Science.
His research has evolved from computational photonics and wireless propagation modelling to wireless sensor networks, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and data science. He has supervised more than 150 Master's dissertations, 25 MPhil theses and 10 PhD students to completion, and has published more than 50 refereed papers. Professor Katsriku is a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and was a CAPREx Fellow at the University of Cambridge.
Judge
Mr. Kwaku Agbesi
Chief Commercial Officer · Digital Umuganda
Mr. Kwaku Agbesi is an accomplished Sales and Marketing Strategy executive with over 15 years of varied experience providing leadership in developing strategy, operational plans, metrics, and driving effective growth and risk management for projects in varied industry sectors. He has worked for reputable global companies such as Apple, General Electric and Google in various management roles.
Kwaku is currently the Chief Commercial Officer for Digital Umuganda, where he is responsible for enabling project teams by understanding their mission, identifying and initiating relationships with partners, negotiating new deals, and serving as a strategic resource to advance research work and product launches in Africa.
Kwaku is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has been an adjunct lecturer in Project Management at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) for the past six years. He is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. He also obtained a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago, USA.
Judge
Mr. Michael Owusu-Asare
Founder · No Limit Consult & No Limit Foundation
Michael Owusu-Asare is a disability inclusion consultant, entrepreneur, advocate, speaker, and social impact practitioner committed to advancing accessibility, inclusion, and economic opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Ghana and beyond. He is the founder of No Limit Consult and No Limit Foundation, through which he provides disability inclusion training, accessibility assessments, inclusive customer service and workplace inclusion consultancy, and supports organisations to design more accessible and inclusive programs, products, services, and environments.
Michael has worked with and provided disability inclusion expertise to organisations including Nestlé Ghana and Nestlé Central and West Africa, GIZ, SpringBoard Road Show Foundation, Absa Bank Ghana, Zenith Bank Ghana, Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, Enterprise Group, Guinness Ghana, The Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA), People's Pension Trust, Student Loan Trust Fund, 24-Hour Economy Secretariat and other corporate and development-sector organisations. He has also been actively involved in conversations around financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, digital accessibility, and creating opportunities for PWD-led businesses.
Beyond his professional work, Michael is passionate about changing perceptions of disability—from a narrative of limitation and dependency to one of ability, dignity, participation, and opportunity. His approach combines professional expertise with lived experience, enabling him to bring authenticity and practical insight to conversations on disability inclusion. He is particularly passionate about working with businesses and institutions to move from awareness to meaningful action, making inclusion part of everyday organisational culture and practice.
Judge
Mr. Chris Dare
Enterprise Architecture, AI/ML Platforms · MTN Ghana
Mr. Chris Dare is a product and technology leader with experience in AI and digital transformation across telecoms, fintech and healthcare. His focus is on translating emerging technologies into practical, scalable products and business value. At MTN Ghana, he leads enterprise architecture for AI/ML platforms and contributes to technology strategy, planning, and governance.
His applied research interests span agentic AI platforms and harnesses, inclusive and accessible voice AI, and recommender systems. Chris holds a Master's degree in Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Valley View University.
Judge
Tweneboa-Koduah Dickson, Esq.
Barrister-at-Law · Co-Founder, Ignite AI Africa LBG
Tweneboa-Koduah Dickson, Esq., LL.M, MCIArb (UK) is a Barrister-at-Law, Notary Public, Certified Artificial Intelligence Expert and Managing Practitioner of 1st Chamber Law Consult, Accra. He is Co-Founder and Lead Advocate of Ignite AI Africa LBG. He is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI).
His AI-related qualifications include certifications in Generative AI, Prompt Engineering and ChatGPT, alongside a professional certification in Blockchain and Law. He is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science, University of Ghana, where he teaches Professional and Ethical Issues in IT; a Lecturer in Commercial Law and Practice at Central University Law School; and a Lecturer in the Law of Evidence at the Ghana School of Law. He holds an LL.M in International Business Law from Staffordshire University, UK, and has over 20 years of broadcasting experience. His professional interests include AI governance, technology ethics, digital innovation and the intersection of law and emerging technologies.