Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) has won the 5th edition of the Women in Engineering Ghana (WinE) Affair after presenting a digital flood alert system designed to detect flooding and alert residents during emergencies.

The two-day competition, organised by WinE-Ghana and hosted by WinE-HTU in the Volta Region, brought together 19 institutions offering engineering programmes across the country to promote female participation in engineering, innovation and entrepreneurship development.

The event was graced by the President-elect and President of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), Ing. Sophia Tijani, and Ing. Rev. Anan, alongside engineers, university authorities, lecturers, and other stakeholders.

BTU, appearing at the competition for the first time, beat three-time champions Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) to emerge winners of the 5th edition. The University for Development Studies (UDS) placed 2nd, while the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa Campus, came 3rd in the competition.

The event ended with the 2026 champions taking home a cash prize of GH¢20,000 whilst UDS received GH¢15,000 as first runner-up and UMaT received GH¢10,000 for placing 3rd.

Chairperson of Women in Engineering Ghana, Ing. Mrs Jane Naki Tetteh-Anowie, said the programme was designed to provide female engineering students with mentorship and a platform to identify challenges in society and develop practical solutions.

The first day of the event featured mentoring and professional development, while participating institutions presented their innovations during the second day.

Tetteh-Anowie described the presentations as impressive, noting that BTU’s victory was particularly remarkable because it was their first appearance at the competition.

According to her, the organisers hope to move the innovations beyond the prototype stage by connecting students with policymakers, relevant agencies and businesses that could help refine and commercialise their ideas.

She also urged more girls to consider going into engineering and STEM as it provides opportunities for young people who are passionate about solving problems in society.

One of the BTU students, Kissiweofo Caroline Awinmasim, said the digital flood alert system that earned them the victory was designed to detect floods and send alerts to potential victims through an alarm.

She said the team plans to develop the prototype into a functional system for deployment, particularly in flood-prone communities, to improve communication during emergencies.

She added that the system could also support the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in tracking and rescuing people affected by floods.

Ing Alberta Amankwa, WinE Ghana's Executive Lead for Mentoring, Coaching and Education, said the participants were judged based on originality, creativity, relevance of the problem being addressed, scalability, financial feasibility, presentation skills and responses to questions.

She said solutions with strong local content that could address challenges faced by ordinary Ghanaians without using expensive materials were the most considered.

Ing Agnes Afi Fugah, Esq., called for stronger protection for students' innovations, saying non-disclosure agreements would be used for subsequent editions to protect ideas presented by students.

She said protecting the students' ideas would encourage more young people, particularly women, to participate in engineering and innovation.