Onitsha girls beat global rivals in AI Tech contest

A Nigerian public secondary school has stunned global competitors in an international artificial intelligence competition, marking a major breakthrough for digital education and girls’ participation in technology.

TechQuest STEM Academy announced that Ado Girls Secondary School won the Outstanding Organization Award at the global AI Youth Competition organised by the International AI Youth Education Society, after competing against teams from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, China and Russia.

The achievement came barely two months after the students began intensive digital and AI training under the TechQuest Digital Access Program, a technology initiative implemented by TechQuest STEM Academy in partnership with Cummins Inc..

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The programme is currently training 750 students and 10 teachers in Onitsha on digital literacy, coding, artificial intelligence and other emerging technology skills.

The international recognition is being viewed as a strong signal that Nigerian students, especially girls in public schools, can compete globally when given access to quality digital education and mentorship.

Speaking on the achievement, Ngozi Anuli Iwouno, head of service, Anambra State, said the school’s performance demonstrated the growing potential of young Nigerians in global innovation spaces.

She said it was encouraging that students under the TechQuest Digital Access Programme funded by the Cummins Foundation competed successfully against participants from some of the world’s most advanced countries and still earned multiple international recognitions.

According to her, the success proves that investments in technology education can rapidly transform learning outcomes in Nigerian public schools.

Ify Alex Anene, corporate responsibility leader for Africa and the Middle East at Cummins Inc., said the company remains committed to supporting communities through education and digital empowerment initiatives.

She noted that the students’ success reflected what becomes possible when young girls are provided with access to technology tools, mentorship and opportunities needed to thrive in the digital economy.

Anene added that the competition result reinforces the importance of expanding access to STEM and AI education across underserved communities in Africa.

Charles Emembolu, co-founder of TechQuest STEM Academy, described the victory as evidence that Nigerian youths can deliver world-class outcomes when exposed to the right learning environment.

According to him, the success of Ado Girls Secondary School is not an isolated achievement but proof that scalable digital education models can produce globally competitive students.

He said TechQuest’s next focus is expanding the programme to more schools across the country in order to bridge the digital divide and prepare more young Nigerians for future technology careers.

The award was first presented virtually before being formally celebrated during the school’s Career Fair Day in Onitsha, where students showcased their projects and achievements before school leaders, parents, TechQuest officials and representatives of Cummins.

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Beyond the competition, the Digital Access Programme is also focused on strengthening teacher capacity, integrating digital learning into school systems and creating long-term pathways for students to access advanced innovation opportunities.

Education stakeholders say the initiative is especially important at a time when concerns are growing over Africa’s widening digital skills gap and the underrepresentation of girls in science and technology fields.

Founded in 2018, TechQuest STEM Academy says it has impacted more than 100,000 students, teachers and young professionals through bootcamps, mentorship programmes and digital skills training initiatives across Africa.

For many observers, the victory by Ado Girls Secondary School is more than an award. It is emerging proof that Nigeria’s next generation of global AI talent may already be taking shape inside public classrooms.