By: Roberta Gayode Modin
Artificial Intelligence (AI), once a distant dream of science fiction, has rapidly evolved into a transformative force in the realm of technological advancement. It has also emerged as a game-changer, revolutionising the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us.
As the world embraces AI’s potential, Africa is yet to leverage this cutting-edge technology to overcome its challenges, spur economic growth, and drive sustainable development.
However, it is not all dark and gloomy for the African continent, as its hotbed of innovative generations like Mustapha Diyaol Haqq has risen to make a difference.
Who is Mustapha Diyaol-Haqq?
Mustapha Diyaol-Haqq is a co-founder of the Okuafo Foundation, an agricultural technology solution provider, and a graduate of Blue Crest University College.
He developed the Okuafo AI App, a farmer-focused app that allows farmers to scan suspected crops to detect diseases for an immediate solution.
According to a publication by Graphic Online in 2020, about 30,000 farmers are benefiting from the technology which is being piloted in Savelugu in the Northern Region, Edubiase, and Apagya in the Ashanti Region.
Launched in 2018, the app picked up the prize in the food category of the Zayed Sustainability Prize in 2020. The Okuafo Foundation was awarded $600,000 in funding to undertake more sustainable developmental projects.
About the Zayed Sustainable Prize
The Zayed Sustainability Prize is the UAE’s pioneering global award that recognises and rewards small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), nonprofit organisations (NPOs), and global high schools with impactful, innovative, and inspiring sustainable solutions.
Established by the UAE leadership in 2008, the Prize honours the humanitarian and sustainability legacy of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Over the past 15 years, the Zayed Sustainability Prize has awarded 106 winners who have positively impacted the lives of over 378 million people around the world.
In a recent tweet, the young, tech-savvy man appears to have more fascinating developments up his sleeve.
“We’ve built something incredible and can’t wait to show the world,” read his tweet on May 4, 2023.
What could Diyaol-Haqq be up to?
