Our Lady of Lourdes Girls Senior High School (OLL Girls SHS) has emerged champion of the maiden Agri-Genius Challenge, a quiz competition designed to promote female participation in agriculture in the Upper East Region.
The competition brought together 22 female contestants from 11 senior high schools across the region, with four schools advancing to the grand finale held in Bolgatanga.
OLL Girls SHS finished first, followed by Navrongo Senior High School (NAVASCO) in second place and Gowrie Senior High Technical School in third. Sirigu Integrated Senior High School placed fourth.
The competition was spearheaded by Asakia Hawawu Hanaan, first runner-up of Ghana’s Most Beautiful 2025, as part of efforts to encourage more young women to develop an interest in agriculture.
Speaking to the media after the competition, Ms. Hanaan, founder of the Agri-Genius Challenge, said the successful maiden edition had transformed an idea she had envisioned into reality.
“Today I am proud to announce that I am the founder for the Agri-Genius Challenge and it’s a school quiz competition that happened in the Upper East region seeking to promote more female engagement in agriculture. First, I had a vision but today that vision has been made a reality and I am so proud,” she said.
She congratulated OLL Girls SHS, NAVASCO, Gowrie Senior High Technical School and Sirigu Integrated Senior High School for reaching the final and said the level of competition demonstrated what girls could achieve when given the opportunity.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be as tough as it was. Seated yesterday and today, I just kept imagining what our girls could do if we keep giving them the opportunity to shine,” she added.
Ms. Hanaan called on stakeholders to support initiatives that create opportunities for girls to develop their talents and explore careers in agriculture.
“I really wish that the entire region we can come together to push initiatives like this because these are the little things we do that will make our girls know that people out there are watching and put in their best. For me, honestly, I am so elated. I am very happy and I am so proud,” she stated.
As champion, OLL Girls SHS received a trophy, plaque and certificate of citation, as well as a fully sponsored three-acre modernised school farm and an educational field trip to demonstration farms, sponsored by FarmYield Africa.
The school also received agricultural inputs and an educational tour of a production facility sponsored by Petasgo Enterprise, two boxes of Kodu sanitary pads from Kodu Technology and a GH¢5,000 cash prize sponsored by Petasgo Enterprise.
Other prizes included 100 exercise books and reading materials from Amisonga Foundation, a food package from Hasatt Foods Ghana, school bags, learning tables and lunch boxes from Lin-Gee’s Collection, as well as a victory dinner sponsored by Frozen Hut.
Other participating schools also received prizes from sponsors based on their performance in the competition.
Ms. Hanaan said she hopes to expand the Agri-Genius Challenge beyond the Upper East Region if the initiative receives sufficient support.
“We are here to support women in agriculture. Our mothers, our sisters, our younger siblings, any woman, we are here to support them. If we have enough support, we can even take it beyond the Upper East region, beyond the Northern region. We can make it a competition for the entire country, and even globally, it depends. So just come and support us when we come knocking on your door.”
She said the competition is expected to return next year with more participating schools and expanded activities.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | David Azure | Bolgatanga
