A group of students from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria have emerged victorious at the Huawei ICT Skills Competition Global Finals in Shenzhen, China.
A statement issued by the Public Affairs Directorate, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (IDV), indicated that the six-day competition was held from May 20 to 25.
The students, who represented the university via ‘TeamABU2024’, secured a first prize in the AI/Innovation Track.
The team, comprising Hadiza Mohammed (Department of Computer Science), Sufiyan Ibrahim (Department of Computer Engineering) and Lawal Dundu Haruna (Department of Computer Engineering), won the prize with their AI-powered CropDiseaseDetector.
Dr. Zaharuddeen Haruna of the Department of Computer Engineering served as the team’s instructor.
Briefing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, on the development, the Director, IIOE Nigeria National Centre, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. M.B. Muazu, said the team’s innovative device detects diseases in crops.
Such crops are yam, cassava, rice, sorghum, beans, tomato, wheat, potato, soybean and groundnut.
Prof. Muazu said the device could also analyse soil health, and measure nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, temperature, moisture, pH and conductivity.
“The tool provides results and recommendations in multiple languages, including English, Pidgin English, Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo (both audio and text), as well as Kiswahili, Afrikaans, French and Arabic (text only),” he said.
He also explained that the device was complemented by a mobile app compatible with Android, iOS, and Harmony OS.
Hadiza Mohammed, a team member, described the experience as enlightening and highlighted the opportunity to engage with other tech enthusiasts and cultures.
She expressed confidence in their solution, and believed it stood out among competitors.
The vice-chancellor commended the team for the achievement and assured them of the university’s support to commercialise the product.
He praised the innovation’s potential impact and encouraged the students to continue leveraging ABU’s platform for greater success.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Ahmed Doko Ibrahim, reiterated the commitment of the university to commercialise the device.
Prof Ibrahim advised that the TeamABU2024 should be formalised into a club to keep institutional memory and foster growth and continuity.
The win underscores ABU’s commitment to fostering technological innovation and excellence on the global stage.
TeamABU2024 had previously won the national and regional rounds of the competition, earning their spot at the global finals in Shenzhen.
