Kumasi: The Ghana Science and Technology Explorer Prize (GSTEP) has honoured outstanding young innovators, with Ashanti Region's Nextgen Coders emerging as the overall winner at the 2026 national exhibition and awards ceremony. The five-year-old STEM initiative recognised Junior High School students whose innovations addressed real-life challenges in education, agriculture, health, energy, environmental sustainability, and community development.
According to Ghana News Agency, Nextgen Coders took the overall prize, while Innovepoch from Greater Accra placed first runner-up and The Science Whizzes from the Volta Region secured second runner-up. Other major award recipients included Pulse Mobility for Best Pitch, Nova Engineers for Most Innovative Idea, and Replastix Team for Excellence in Applied Science.
The event brought together finalists from across the country, who showcased practical STEM-driven solutions, including an automated gari frying machine, a smart autonomous wheelchair, a smart hydroponic farming system, an automated handwashing machine, a solar-powered food dehydrator, a vehicle black box, and a real-time flood monitoring application. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, Deputy Minister of Education, said the projects demonstrated that the students were developing solutions capable of transforming lives and contributing to national development. Dr Apaak reaffirmed the government's commitment to expanding STEM education through investments in infrastructure, curriculum reforms, and teacher development.
Madam Afua Asiamah Adjei, Executive Director of DreamOval Foundation, described GSTEP as a national movement that had nurtured youth-led innovation over the past five years. She noted that this year's competition attracted more than 755 applications and expanded into the Volta Region, with 60 teams advancing through the various stages of the contest. Madam Adjei called on more public and private institutions to support the initiative through funding, mentorship, and policy collaboration to help young innovators transform their ideas into practical solutions.
Mrs Olivia Opare, Director of STEM Education at the National STEM Resource Unit of the Ghana Education Service, said GSTEP had complemented national efforts to promote practical, activity-based STEM learning in schools. She also praised the growing participation of girls in STEM, describing it as one of the programme's most significant achievements.
The GSTEP programme is implemented by DreamOval Foundation, Partnership Bureau, Practical Education Network, and Shulem Lake in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, and AngloGold Ashanti, with funding support from Fondation Botnar. Since its inception, the programme has provided mentorship, coaching, and hands-on STEM training to young learners, equipping them with problem-solving, innovation, and entrepreneurial skills while encouraging practical solutions to community challenges.