GAIAthon '24: National Coordinators Prepare to Ignite African Innovation

This week, Accra - Ghana played host to a crucial two-day GAIAthon '24 Coordinators Workshop, bringing together 20 participants from eight African countries. Held from 19-20 August 2024, this gathering of bright minds from Togo, Benin, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal marked a pivotal milestone on the path to fostering a continent-wide innovation movement. With a mission to advance digital literacy and environmental sustainability, GAIAthon '24 is not just a competition—it’s a bold step towards an innovative African future.

Group picture of some participants at the workshop

A Vision for Africa’s Digital Renaissance

Organized by the Edenway Foundation led by Prof. Goerge Wiafe, in partnership with the MarCNoWA Consortium under the GMES & Africa Programme, GAIAthon '24 is designed to equip university students across Africa with the skills to address pressing environmental challenges using Earth Observation (EO) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Supported by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the European Commission (EC), the initiative encourages young innovators to develop practical solutions for the continent’s future.

Mr. Christopher Bartonjo, Edenway Foundation's resident IoT expert, introducing participants to the GAIAboard. 

Charting the Course at the Coordinators Workshop

The Accra workshop served as the launching pad for the competition’s next phase. The focus? Equipping coordinators with the tools, knowledge, and inspiration needed to mentor their teams through the rigorous competition. The scale of the task is impressive: 110 teams signed up for GAIAthon '24, and after intense preliminary rounds, 55 teams had the opportunity to pitch their innovative solutions.

Dr Mostafa Ghoz from Egypt sharing innovative ideas with other participants

From that pool, 41 teams emerged as finalists, armed with IoT sensors and GAIA boards to supercharge the development of their cutting-edge solutions. Even the remaining 14 teams, who were provided with GAIA boards and basic IoT sensors, won’t be left behind—they, too, will continue to hone their skills and work on innovative ideas, driven by the competition's collaborative and inclusive spirit.

A customized GAIA board

Africa’s Innovation Roadmap: What’s Next

But this is only the beginning. As GAIAthon '24 pushes forward, each of the eight participating countries will host a two-day GAIA camp. These camps will serve as incubators for creativity, where teams receive invaluable mentorship from their coordinators, fine-tuning their projects in preparation for the competition’s final phase.

Dr. Yassine Tounsi from Morocco receives IoT devices for the competing teams from Prof. George Wiafe.

The clock is ticking: the teams will then have 21 days to bring their ideas to life. Their solutions will be evaluated not only on their creativity but also on their practicality and the potential for real-world impact. It all leads to a thrilling culmination on the 2nd of October, when the winners will be revealed, and the future of African innovation will be celebrated.

A Future-Forward Africa

The GAIAthon '24 Coordinators Workshop has laid a strong foundation for the competition, setting the stage for Africa’s next generation of innovators. As the competition progresses, these young minds are poised to make meaningful contributions to sustainability and technology across the continent. GAIAthon '24 is more than just a competition—it’s a movement poised to empower Africa’s digital generation, propelling them to the forefront of global innovation. Participants are already looking ahead, with discussions about a continent-wide GAIAthon '25 beginning to take shape.