UCC's Team Badwenba wins StatsBank Hackathon
After three days of intense competition, Team Badwenba from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) emerged as the victors in the inaugural National StatsBank Hackathon.
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The University of Ghana's Team Data Geniuses secured the second position, while Team Robust Research from UCC claimed third place.
Team Badwenba's winning web application, Town Craft Initiative, was built on data sourced from the Ghana Statistical Service's Statsbank. This innovative visualisation and analysis dashboard can identify deficiencies in education and healthcare services across all districts in Ghana.
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Comprising MPhil Computer Science students from UCC—Aaron John Tetteh, Andrews Ankomahene, Abraham Boakye, and Sam Washington—the team was awarded a cash prize of GH₵20,000 for their outstanding efforts. The first runner-up received GH₵15,000, and the second runner-up received GH₵10,000.
A panel of judges, consisting of experts from the public sector, private sector, and development partners, was responsible for selecting the winners.
StatsBank Hackathon
Organized by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in collaboration with Statistics Denmark, the Hackathon aimed to raise awareness about the GSS StatsBank and foster collaboration between GSS, academia, and other institutions.
The StatsBank serves as an online database for accessing disaggregated statistics derived from censuses, surveys, and administratively compiled sources.
Fifteen eams from various universities, including the University of Health and Allied Sciences, the University for Development Studies, and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, competed in this inaugural edition of the Hackathon.
The winners were announced during an awards ceremony held on Thursday, October 26, 2023. The event was chaired by Mr. Joe Anokye, the Director General of the National Communications Authority.
In his welcome remarks, the Government Statistician emphasized the significance of the Hackathon in advancing the commitment of GSS to supporting data interventions with a multiplier impact (DIMI) and policy interventions with a multiplier impact (PIMI). He underscored that statistics-focused initiatives like StatsBank are crucial for ending cyclical fluctuations in Ghana's development. He also highlighted the substantial returns on investment in statistical data systems, with potential yields ranging from $32 to as high as $70 for developing countries, emphasizing the importance of establishing a robust and modernized statistical system.
The program featured a solidarity message from Mr. Tom Nørring, the Ambassador of the Embassy of Denmark, a fraternal message on statistical data, research, and policy from the Acting Head of the Civil Service Dr. Evans Aggrey-Darko, and a statement from Hon. Benson Baba Tongo, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee.
