St. Louis Takes 2nd Spot at African Robotics Competition, Set to Represent Ghana On The World Stage
- The Firefly IO Robotics Team from St. Louis SHS placed second at the 2025 Pan-African Robotics Competition held in Senegal
- The competition focused on phosphate production and fertiliser development, with the team using VEX IQ kits to design a robot
- Their impressive performance has earned the team a spot to represent Ghana at the 2026 World Robotics Competitions in the US
St. Louis Senior High School in Kumasi has achieved a remarkable feat after it clinched second place at the prestigious 2025 Pan-African Robotics Competition (PARC) held in Senegal.
Source: UGC
The all-female school was supported by their younger counterparts from the school’s STEM Centre.
YEN.com.gh gathered that they faced off against nearly 30 teams from across Africa.
This year’s competition focused on phosphate production and fertiliser development, with three key zones: the Mining Zone, where teams built robots to extract phosphate; the Mixing Zone, where they created a chemical reaction to produce fertiliser; and the Shipping Zone, where robots sorted and transported the finished products.
Ghana representatives at the Pan-African robotics competition
By making use of VEX IQ kits, the St. Louis team designed a robot capable of completing each of the tasks required in these zones.
Their impressive performance earned them second place. According to them, they narrowly missed first place due to more advanced robotic kits used by their competitors.
The team’s participation in the event was supported by Firefly IO, the organisers of the Ghana Robotics Competition.
Firefly IO is known to encourage innovation and excellence in robotics within the country.
As a reward for their achievement, the team has secured a spot to represent Ghana at the 2026 World Robotics Competitions in the US.
Source: UGC
The first event will be in Maryland in March, followed by another competition in May at an undisclosed location.
Kumasi school takes second at robotics competition
Upon their return to Ghana, Team Lead George Sarfo, who also serves as Lead Organiser for the Ghana Robotics Competition, expressed immense pride in the team’s efforts.
“It’s an incredibly challenging competition, but these young women displayed immense dedication,” Sarfo said.
He further highlighted the need to expand access to robotics education in underserved regions, stressing the need for partnerships to bring STEM opportunities to more schools across the country.
He said:
“We’re currently preparing for the Ghana Robotics Competition in October at the University of Ghana, with 150 schools already registered. However, many of these institutions face financial constraints, and we need sponsorship to ensure that all students can participate.”
Team members Salamat Adams and Oprah Winfrey Nketiah shared their excitement about the event. Salamat expressed pride in their performance, while Oprah noted that despite being outmatched by superior equipment, the team remained confident about future opportunities.
Team Ghana shines at Chevron Engineering Programme
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that some Ghanaian students participated in the 2025 Chevron Engineering Leadership Programme in South Africa.
Emmanuel Abakah, a student from St. John’s School and 2024 GH-STEM Olympiad champion, earned a fully sponsored spot.
Abraham Seddoh and Lucian Effah won 1st and 3rd place, respectively, in the final project showcase.
Source: YEN.com.gh
