The team comprised students from the University of Dar es Salaam (Udsm), the University of Dodoma (Udom) and the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT)
Dar es Salaam. A team of six students from three Tanzanian universities has emerged winners of the 2024/25 Huawei Global ICT Competition, beating 167 other teams from 48 countries.
The team comprised students from the University of Dar es Salaam (Udsm), the University of Dodoma (Udom) and the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT).
Their achievement was recognised yesterday during the Huawei Tanzania ICT Talent Annual Ceremony in Dar es Salaam.
The global competition, organised by Huawei Technologies, tested practical applications of artificial intelligence and networking systems. Three of the Tanzanian winners competed in the cloud computing category while the other three excelled in networking.
Speaking at the event, Dr Florence Rashid of Udom hailed the victory as a sign of Tanzania’s growing strength in ICT education.
“Our students in higher learning institutions are showing a strong grasp of ICT concepts and practical skills. This win demonstrates that Tanzania is making significant progress in technology and ICT education,” she said.
She urged more students to take part in such global contests, noting that they open career pathways and build international exposure.
The Director General of the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (Costech), Dr Amos Nungu, said the triumph sends a powerful message about the country’s capabilities.
“This competition proves that Tanzania is not just participating but excelling in global ICT platforms. With improved infrastructure in our institutions, we are beginning to see promising outcomes,” he said.
Dr Nungu reiterated government support for young innovators, stressing the need to apply technology to solve real community challenges.
The Huawei ICT Competition is one of the world’s largest tech contests for university students, designed to identify and nurture ICT talent while fostering innovation and collaboration.
One of the winners, Mr Sigfrid Michael, described the contest as highly demanding due to its practical focus.
“It was tough, but our universities had prepared us well. One key lesson we learned is the importance of specialising early. Students from countries like China excel because they go deep into one field, while here we often learn a bit of everything,” he said.
Tanzania’s win is seen as a milestone in the country’s ambition to build a competitive ICT workforce capable of shaping the global digital economy.
