Ghanaian Engineer Presents CivicLens at Nairobi AI Summit

Ghanaian software engineer and AI innovator Kobby Owen has earned continental recognition after his innovative civic technology solution, CivicLens, secured a joint third-place finish at an AI innovation challenge held during the Summit on People-Centred Technologies in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.

The summit, supported by the Open Society Foundations, brought together technology leaders, engineers, civil society organisations, and innovators to explore how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies can strengthen governance, promote peace, and build more resilient communities across Africa.

Selected From 200 Engineers Across 20 African Countries

The innovation challenge, organised by Andela, invited African technologists to develop practical solutions addressing some of the continent's most pressing challenges in peacebuilding, governance, and community development.

The initiative attracted 200 engineers from 20 African countries, with only 10 outstanding submissions selected to present their innovations at the summit.

Finalists travelled from Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Kenya to demonstrate their solutions before an audience of technology professionals, industry leaders, and development stakeholders.

Representing Ghana, Kobby Owen presented CivicLens, an AI-powered public intelligence platform designed to promote transparency, strengthen public accountability, and empower citizens to access and understand information about government projects and public expenditure.

CivicLens: Using Artificial Intelligence to Strengthen Public Accountability

CivicLens seeks to bridge the information gap between governments and citizens by making public information more accessible, understandable, and actionable.

The platform uses artificial intelligence to help citizens explore government projects, examine public spending, identify inconsistencies in reported information, and engage more meaningfully with governance processes.

Through features such as AI-powered questioning, project tracking, evidence-based reporting, and information verification, CivicLens demonstrates how emerging technologies can support more transparent and accountable institutions.

The innovation reflects a growing movement among African engineers to build technology that addresses real societal challenges rather than focusing exclusively on commercial applications.

Ghana Secures a Place Among Africa's Top Innovators

Following the live presentations and audience voting, the competition recognised five outstanding innovations.

The winners were:

• First Place: Deckwatch — Job Bundi, Kenya
• Second Place: Ekyama — Matsiko Innocent Travy, Uganda
• Joint Third Place: Wozza Safety — Wesley Waka, Kenya
• Joint Third Place: CivicLens — Kobby Owen, Ghana
• Joint Third Place: ChengetAI — Lester Rusike, Zimbabwe

CivicLens' recognition places Ghana among the countries producing promising AI-driven solutions to Africa's governance and development challenges.

The Growing Role of African Engineers in Social Innovation

One of the most compelling outcomes of the challenge was the ability of participating engineers to develop practical solutions in fields where many had no previous professional experience.

By combining technical expertise with advanced AI tools, participants demonstrated how emerging technologies can accelerate innovation and help address complex societal problems.

The summit also highlighted the importance of collaboration between the private sector, technology ecosystems, governments, and civil society organisations in developing responsible, people-centred technologies.

For Kobby Owen, the recognition represents an important milestone in his software engineering and artificial intelligence journey, demonstrating the potential of African-built technologies to contribute meaningfully to governance and public accountability.

Building Technology for Africa's Future

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries and institutions worldwide, innovations such as CivicLens highlight the increasing role African technologists can play in developing solutions tailored to the continent's unique challenges.

The recognition in Nairobi reinforces a powerful message: Africa's technology ecosystem is not only capable of adopting emerging technologies but also of building innovative solutions that can strengthen democratic participation, improve transparency, and empower communities.

With CivicLens earning recognition on a continental stage, Kobby Owen joins a growing generation of African innovators demonstrating that technology can be a powerful instrument for positive social change.