Yaa Asantewaa Girls are winners of National Cyber Champions Competition
Kumasi’s Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School has emerged the zone two winners of the first edition of the National Cyber Champions Competition (NCCC) geared toward cybersecurity development.
They beat their fierce contenders from 7 other senior high schools from Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions to emerge victorious.
After rounds of a competitive practical presentation on ethical hacking, Yaa Asantewaa Girls Senior School, garnered the highest score of 10 with St Hubert minor Seminary and T. I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School trailing behind with 9.2 and 9 average scores respectively.
The other participating schools were OLA Girls SHS (Kenaase), St. Louis Girls SHS (Kumasi), Sunyani SHS (Sunyani), Methodist Technical Institute (Kumasi), and Kumasi High School.
The maiden edition of the National Cyber Champions Competition (NCCC) is organized by the CyberGhana, to inspire Secondary School students to pursue careers in cybersecurity or related Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines for accelerated development.
The competition also aims to raise awareness of cybersecurity’s best practices for students to stay safe online, seek career opportunities, and develop a cybersecurity culture among the youth.
Programmes Coordinator for CyberGhana, Bright Edujih Kuleke, explains the competition will help blossom cyber talents.
“We have been having a symposium for the various schools that have cyber clubs. This time we decided to bring them together in the form of a competition to see who mastered what we have been teaching them over the years.
“The program is aimed to address the global shortage of cybersecurity talents, and cyber programs that will motivate students to learn advanced concepts.
Director of International Programmes and Institutional linkage and a Senior Lecturer at Computer Science Department-Koforidua Technical University (KTU) Dr. Patricia Ghann believes that, nurtured youth in cyber security will address youth unemployment.
“This will also help reduce the unemployment rate we are having in the country. I will personally encourage more girls into ICT.
“Because I have seen that there is a phobia of girls entering into ICT, which I believe the girls in this competition have the potential that, if we give more attention to them, the country will move forward and we can technologically compare ourselves to other countries outside,” she said.
Winners of the first phase of the zone two contest, Yaa Asantewaa Girls Senior High school, said that, “Preparation was really hectic. But with our instructor’s support, we were able to pull through.
“It means a lot to me because this first time contesting at the secondary level and we passing to the next stage. And the certificates will give us the opportunity when we do the university,” they said.
This part of the competition forms part of three other zonal competitions across the country.
Eight schools that will score the highest will progress to the grand finale scheduled for April in Accra.
Source: Ghana News
