10-Year-Old Port Harcourt Girls Win Global Tech Prize
Two 10-year-old girls from Rivers State, Nigeria, have stunned the world by clinching the Grand Prize at the 2025 Technovation Global Summit (Beginner Division) with their AI-powered road safety app, StayWoke.
Akachukwu Blessed Nwachukwu and Ifunanya Gabriella Okoye, both from Port Harcourt, represented Nigeria and Africa as Team Appsolute, outshining over 33,000 participants from 117 countries with their life-saving innovation.
StayWoke is designed to combat one of the deadliest global challenges: drowsy and distracted driving. Using facial recognition and voice interaction technology, the app monitors drivers in real time and issues instant alerts to prevent accidents.
Unlike expensive commercial driver-assistance tools, the app is affordable and accessible, giving it the potential to transform road safety for millions worldwide.
Technovation is the world’s largest tech entrepreneurship program for girls aged 8–18, encouraging them to solve real-world problems with innovation. This year, more than 3,200 tech solutions were submitted. Despite tough competition from finalists in Japan, Spain, Canada, and Peru, Team Appsolute emerged as winners, with judges praising the project’s creativity, technical execution, and social impact.
“This victory proves that innovation knows no age or boundary,” said Somkenechukwu Mamah, the team’s mentor and founder of Code Ambassadors Academy. “Akachukwu and Ifunanya have shown resilience, brilliance, and courage, reminding the world that young Africans can lead in shaping the future of technology.”
The girls are products of the Code Ambassadors Academy, a STEM.org-accredited initiative in Nigeria that has trained over 7,000 children in coding, robotics, AI, and design.
With strong mentorship and support from their families, the girls transformed their idea into a globally recognised innovation in just four months.
For Akachukwu and Ifunanya, the win is more than a trophy; it is a testament to the power of girls daring to dream, proving that their code, voice, and creativity can change the world.