By William Nana Beeko, AmaGhana Online
The University of Ghana has honoured renowned entrepreneur, international trade and development consultant, and digital e-commerce advocate Ebenezer Denzel Amanor with a Certificate of Appreciation following the successful organisation of the maiden UI/UX Innovation Hackathon held in collaboration with the Managing Africa Foundation.
The landmark event, organised by the Department of Computer Science (DCS) of the University of Ghana in partnership with the Managing Africa Foundation, brought together aspiring designers, software developers, innovators and technology enthusiasts to demonstrate how user-centred design can solve real-world challenges through innovation and collaboration.
The event brought together Computer Science students to develop innovative user interface and user experience concepts aimed at addressing real-world challenges through technology.
Hosted at the University’s Virtual InfoSec Lab, the hackathon challenged participants to design and present functional UI/UX prototypes capable of addressing practical societal and business problems while demonstrating creativity, technical excellence, teamwork and sustainable implementation strategies.
The programme was built around the philosophy of “Innovate Today, Impact Tomorrow,” encouraging participants to move beyond theory and transform ideas into practical digital solutions capable of creating measurable social and economic impact.
Throughout the competition, participants progressed through various stages of ideation, interface design, prototype development, testing and refinement before presenting their innovations before a panel of judges comprising academics and industry professionals.
Speaking after the successful climax of the event, Robert Koomson from the Managing Africa Foundation’s Innovation and Growth (IG) Team said the hackathon was created to provide students with a platform to transform their ideas into practical digital solutions.
According to him, the initiative focused on helping participants demonstrate their design thinking before software applications move into full development.
“Our objective was to bring together talented students and provide them with an opportunity to showcase innovative UI/UX designs that can solve real-life problems,” Koomson said.
“UI/UX design is an important stage in software development, and we wanted participants to demonstrate their creativity by designing practical solutions that could eventually be developed into fully functional applications.”
Koomso further noted that participants, working in teams, presented concepts covering diverse sectors, including agriculture, safety, and other areas of public interest. He said the quality of the projects reflected the enormous potential within Ghana’s young technology community.
“The ideas we witnessed clearly showed that young people have the ability to identify challenges and develop innovative solutions. It was exciting to see the level of creativity and critical thinking displayed throughout the competition,” he stated.
Describing the event as the Foundation’s first hackathon, Koomson revealed that Managing Africa Foundation intends to make the programme an annual initiative and expand its scope in future editions. “This was our first hackathon, but certainly not the last. Going forward, we hope to build on this success by encouraging participants not only to design solutions but also to develop complete products from the ground up,” he said, adding that the Foundation also hopes to extend the programme to other tertiary institutions in the future while strengthening its partnership with the University of Ghana.
Mr. Koomson further encouraged young people to pursue careers in technology, emphasizing that digital skills have become indispensable across every industry.
“Technology has become part of every profession, whether it is finance, law, healthcare, agriculture, education, or business. Building a strong foundation in information technology gives young people an advantage wherever they choose to specialize, and that is why we encourage more students to embrace the opportunities within the tech ecosystem,” he added.
The maiden edition highlighted the growing importance of user experience design in today’s digital economy and reinforced the University of Ghana’s commitment to equipping students with industry-relevant skills that bridge academia and entrepreneurship.
The Managing Africa Foundation, known for championing innovation, entrepreneurship and digital transformation across Africa, partnered with the Department of Computer Science to create an environment where young innovators could learn, collaborate and develop solutions with real-world applications.
A major highlight of the event was the presentation of a Certificate of Appreciation to Ebenezer Denzel Amanor in recognition of his outstanding contribution, dedication and unwavering support towards making the inaugural hackathon a success.
The citation accompanying the award praised his remarkable commitment to empowering young innovators and acknowledged that his efforts had made a significant impact on the successful execution of the programme.
The certificate was jointly endorsed by Prof. Kwabena Doku-Amponsah, Dean of the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS), and Prof. Ebenezer Owusu, Head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Ghana, underscoring the institution’s appreciation for Amanor’s leadership and contribution.
Introducing the award recipient during the ceremony, organisers described Ebenezer Denzel Amanor as a seasoned entrepreneur and e-commerce analyst with more than two decades of experience driving innovation, business development and digital transformation across multiple sectors.
The audience was told that although Amanor humorously refers to himself as the “Chairman of Everything, CEO of Nothing,” his accomplishments and influence across Africa’s innovation ecosystem have established him as a respected leader whose work continues to inspire entrepreneurs and technology professionals.
He was further described as a “Community Happiness Transformer” whose work as an International Trade and Development Consultant focuses on connecting innovation, artificial intelligence and the future of work to create opportunities for businesses, communities and young professionals.
Organisers also highlighted his long-standing commitment to youth empowerment through the establishment of businesses and initiatives that have created employment opportunities, particularly for young people and women-led enterprises.
His contributions to Ghana’s technology industry were further recognised through his historic achievement in 2015 when he emerged as the sole recipient of the 6th Ghana Information Technology and Telecom Awards (GITTA) in the Emerging Telecom Young Entrepreneur category.
Participants and guests applauded Amanor’s continued advocacy for digital innovation, e-commerce development and entrepreneurship, describing his involvement in the hackathon as a significant inspiration for the next generation of African innovators.
Beyond the competition itself, the event created valuable networking opportunities between students, lecturers, industry experts and technology entrepreneurs, allowing participants to gain practical insights into product design, digital innovation and emerging technology trends.
The successful maiden edition of the UI/UX Innovation Hackathon has been widely regarded as an important milestone in strengthening collaboration between academia and industry while promoting innovation-driven education within Ghana’s growing digital economy.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that the initiative would become an annual flagship programme capable of nurturing future product designers, software innovators and technology entrepreneurs whose ideas could contribute meaningfully to national development and Africa’s digital transformation agenda.
With the successful hosting of the inaugural hackathon and the recognition of Ebenezer Denzel Amanor for his exceptional leadership and contribution, the University of Ghana and the Managing Africa Foundation have reaffirmed their shared commitment to fostering innovation, developing digital talent and empowering young Africans to build impactful technology solutions for the future.
