A team of students from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) has emerged victorious at the Huawei ICT Skills Competition Global Finals held in Shenzhen, China.
The competition, which took place from May 20th to 25th, 2025, saw the students, representing “TeamABU2024,” secure the first prize in the AI/Innovation Track. The winning team consisted of Hadiza Mohammed from the Department of Computer Science, and Sufiyan Ibrahim and Lawal Dundu Haruna from the Department of Computer Engineering. Their innovative project, an AI-powered CropDiseaseDetector, impressed the judges and earned them the top spot.
The CropDiseaseDetector is a cutting-edge device that detects diseases in various crops, including yam, cassava, rice, and wheat. It can also analyze soil health, measuring factors such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels. The device provides results and recommendations in multiple languages, both in audio and text formats.
Complemented by a mobile app compatible with Android, iOS, and Harmony OS, the team’s solution has the potential to make a significant impact in the agricultural sector.
The team members, under the guidance of Dr. Zaharuddeen Haruna, expressed their excitement and gratitude for the experience. Hadiza Mohammed, a team member, described the competition as enlightening, highlighting the opportunity to engage with other tech enthusiasts and cultures.
The Vice-Chancellor of ABU, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, commended the team for their achievement and assured them of the university’s support to commercialize their product. He praised the innovation’s potential impact and encouraged the students to continue leveraging ABU’s platform for greater success.
The university’s commitment to fostering technological innovation and excellence was underscored by the win. TeamABU2024 had previously won the national and regional rounds of the competition, earning their spot at the global finals.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Ahmed Doko Ibrahim, reiterated the university’s commitment to commercializing the device and advised that the team be formalized into a club to ensure institutional memory and continuity.
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