Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) has emerged winner of the 2026 Women in Engineering (WiNE) Affair competition after developing a smart emergency communication system designed to detect floods and help emergency responders locate people in danger.
The university beat 18 other participating tertiary institutions, including Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University for Development Studies (UDS) and the University of Ghana, to claim the top prize.
The competition, organised under the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), was held at Ho Technical University and brought together female engineering students to develop innovative solutions to challenges affecting communities.
BTU received a trophy and a cash prize of GH¢20,000 for its winning project, Smart Emergency Communication System with Flood Monitoring.
The innovation is designed to automatically detect flooding and send emergency alerts, including GPS location information, to assist agencies such as the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Ghana National Fire Service in responding to emergencies.
Speaking at BTU after the team’s return from the competition, Aurelia Ayamdor, a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering who led the team, explained that participating institutions were tasked with developing solutions to real problems affecting communities.
“For the Wine Affair 2026, projects were given to the various universities to come out with a solution for a problem to be solved in the community. And we know that recently there was flooding in various regions. So our team came out with a solution, which is a smart emergency communication with a flood monitoring system,” she said.
According to her, the system was developed in response to recurring floods in Ghana, which have caused deaths, displaced residents and damaged properties in several communities.
She explained that the device could help emergency responders identify the locations of people trapped during flooding.
“This device can help save lives of people, those who are trapped during flooding. So it’s a communication system that communicates to respondents, for example the fire service, NADMO, in order to come to save the lives of the people. This system has a GPS location where they are able to locate the victims to save their lives,” she said.
Madam Ayamdor attributed the team’s success to its determination and preparation ahead of the competition.
She urged university management to invest more in practical engineering activities, particularly initiatives that encourage women to develop technical skills and pursue careers in engineering.
“Management should invest more in these kind of activities so that they are able to develop more of their skills, especially women in engineering, because ladies in engineering is something that is difficult. It’s not easy,” she added.
The Dean of BTU’s School of Engineering, Eng. Dr George Alexander Dordah, said the achievement demonstrated the ability of students to apply classroom knowledge to practical challenges confronting society.
“This competition was all about innovation, how to innovate to solve problems in our society. What this means for us goes beyond just winning. It demonstrates that our students can apply the knowledge we are giving them here to develop, innovate, and solve problems in society,” he said.
Dr Dordah said the project was particularly relevant given the recurring flooding experienced in parts of Ghana, including communities in Northern Ghana affected by the spillage of the Bagre Dam and flood-prone areas in Accra.
He explained that the system was designed to detect flooding and transmit alerts without requiring someone to manually activate it.
“It is important that we are able to early detect these floods. With this device, it’s very easy. The good thing about it is that you don’t need somebody triggering it. Once it senses the flood, it goes ahead to send signals and indicate where you can actually locate whoever is in a problem. And so it becomes easy to save people,” he said.
He said the university would continue to emphasise practical training that enables students to develop solutions to challenges facing communities and industry.
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) President, Kenneth Atonka Nsoyine, also congratulated the team, describing the achievement as a reflection of the students’ dedication and teamwork.
“Your achievement is a true reflection of the hard work, dedication, discipline and determination of the students of Bolga Technical University. You have represented BTU with pride and excellence, proving that when talent is supported by dedication and teamwork, great things are possible,” he said.
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