Nigeria and Tanzania have tied in at first place relegating Kenya to second place in a tie with Angola in the Huawei ICT Competition regional finals.
On March 10, 2019, African teams participated in this year’s Sub Saharan Africa Huawei ICT Competition regional finals with students from over 100 universities competing.
Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana and Mauritius participated in the competition.
Brightest technology students in their countries
The Kenyan team composed of five male and one female student, participated in the regional finals after qualifying from the national level last September.
There were 42 students in 14 teams that sat for theoretical and practical examinations for the regional finals held at Huawei’s regional headquarters in Woodmead, Johannesburg. These teams are believed to be among the brightest technology students in their countries.
The competition covered the latest ICT technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, mobile networks and big data.
Travel to Shenzhen, China
As second prize winners, the Kenyan team will travel to Shenzhen, China, on May 24th to 27th this year, to compete in the global finals as one of 40 teams from around the world.
During the global final, students will be able to experience and share the latest information on technology and industry trends, whilst also gaining theoretical and practical insights.
Su Shuqi, Head of ICT Academy at Huawei Technologies Kenya Company Limited, said that she was proud of the performance of the Kenyan team.
“The Kenyan Team took Huawei Certified ICT Professional course and had an intense 10 day training before departure to Johannesburg. We are very proud of Team Kenya.”
Su remains optimistic on the performance of the Kenyan team in the global finals and is eager for the competitions.
ICT resources necessary for Africa’s development
She emphasized that training would become even more intense as the competition will get stiffer.
“Huawei understands the value of a good talent ecosystem which is the foundation of a smart future. This ICT Competition is part of our innovative initiative to support that and promote ICT skills. We believe that this event will inspire more students in Africa to develop an interest in ICT by providing a world-class stage to showcase and consolidate the vital ICT resources necessary for Africa’s development” said Xue Man, Vice President of Huawei, at the regional award ceremony.
Partnership with governments, local tertiary institutions
Alfred Cheruiyot, Principal Secretary, State Department for Post Training and Skills Development from the Ministry of Education in Kenya, praised Huawei’s efforts in upskilling the youth in ICT through partnering with national governments and local tertiary institutions.
“This ICT Competition is a good platform for ICT students to develop their careers and become successful entrepreneurs. This will in turn improve our economy for years to come if done right,” Cheruiyot said.
Zipporah Wachira, the only Kenyan female ICT student said, “As one of the winners of the Huawei ICT competition 2018-2019, I would recommend this programme to anyone who has interest in the field of networking or any other computer related field. I am a testimony, the journey is amazing, and you are assured of a world-class ICT experience.
