The Northern Zonal Challenge of the Energy Commission Senior High Schools Renewable Energy Challenge, has seen Dabokpa Technical Institute, a Tamale based school which represented the Northern Region, crowned champions.

The zonal competition that took place at the Engineering department of the KNUST , was being competed by eight schools with each representing the eight regions from the Northern zone.

The year's program was themed; "Application of Renewable Energy Technologies in Solving Land Degradation And Water Pollution".

Speaking to the media after the challenge, Mrs Emelia Osei Opare who is the national director of the STEM education at the GES, expressed overwhelming joy over the performance of the students. Adding that she was very excited to always see the students' excellent improvement every year.

According to her, the challenge, since its inception, has gone a long way to making students great researchers and problem solvers.

She also added that there were plans to introduce these challenges at the basic levels, an initiative she believes will broaden the students' scope of learning to the highest point.

On his part, Mr. Julius Nkansah Nyarko, senior manager for the renewable energy regulations and programs coordinator, said, the first three schools from the northern zone, have automatically qualified for the national competition that is scheduled for 8th October, 2024 at the Accra International Conference Center.

He, however disclosed that authorities were waiting for the best three performing schools from the Southern Zone so that they will be added to make the finalists six(6) for the national competition.

According to him, partners of the program GES, had been advised to exhibit the projects at the regional and district levels where local companies can have a gist the projects and collaborate with them on how they can make use of them.

Speaking on behalf of the winning students Sakaria Joshua, one of the winning students, speaking on behalf of the school said, they came out with the project in order to solve the many challenges confronting the various communities due to water pollution and land degradation. According to him, it was very worrying that people were dying in the various communities as a result of the many water pollution that occur as a result of galamsey and many other human activities.

Story filed by Barbara Koranteng.