By USMAN ALIYU

Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), Edo, has emerged overall winner in Sub-Saharan Africa at the Huawei ICT Competition.

This is contained in a statement issued by the university’s Deputy Director of Public Relations, Mr Lucky Eboh, on Saturday in Benin.

Eboh said the university secured the grand prize in the Network Track category, earning a place at the global final in China.

He explained that the Network Track tests participants on communication networks, routing, switching, cybersecurity and emerging technologies such as 5G and cloud integration.

Eboh said the university outperformed competitors from across the region to clinch first place.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the feat marks a significant milestone, as IUO is the only private university from Nigeria to reach this stage of the competition.

The victory qualifies the team to represent Nigeria at the global final, where it will compete against top-performing teams from Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas and other regions.

The competition is organised annually by Huawei in partnership with universities and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – International Bureau of Education (UNESCO-IBE).

It focuses on developing practical digital skills in networking, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other emerging

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, said the achievement underscores a growing shift in Nigeria’s ICT talent landscape, with private institutions increasingly contributing to digital innovation and skills development.

Ezemonye attributed the university’s success to sustained investment in ICT training and strategic partnerships.

He said this includes the establishment of Huawei ICT Academies to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry demands.

“With the global final ahead, the team is expected to compete against the best young tech talents worldwide, positioning Nigeria once again on the global ICT map,” he said. (NAN)