In a thrilling culmination to the 4th edition of the Gas Challenge, the “Lean Gas” team from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has secured victory over the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) and the Regional Maritime University (RMU), marking their first win after three final appearances.
The Ghana National Gas Limited Company (Ghana Gas) witnessed an exhilarating finale of its annual Gas Challenge competition at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra on Thursday, November 27, 2023.
After a very fierce contest, KNUST emerged victorious with 55 points. UMAT and the Regional Maritime University followed closely with 50 and 34 points, respectively.
Speaking after the contest, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Gas, Dr. Ben K. D. Asante, extended appreciation to all the participants and affirmed their collective winner status.
He emphasized the integral role events like the Gas Challenge play in enhancing public understanding of gas properties, uses, and associated hazards.
“On behalf of the board, management, and staff of Ghana Gas, we want to thank you for your patronage this year, and for the participating institutions as well for your contribution this year. You are all winners; there is no loser here. I just want to say we are grateful to everyone for coming.
“I am glad that gas is actually now taking some root in the fabric of our society in terms of our understanding of its properties, in terms of its uses, and, of course, the hazards associated with it. It is events like this that are actually engendering the education of gas in our system, and we are hoping that each and every one of you will return next year for the 2024 gas challenge,” Dr. Asante said.
The Gas Challenge, organized by the Ghana National Gas Limited Company, serves as an annual quiz competition fostering industry understanding among tertiary students. The 2023 competition witnessed the participation of twelve institutions, with KNUST, UMAT, and the Regional Maritime University emerging as finalists.
This year’s competition incorporated an innovation session showcasing STEM projects by selected Senior High Schools in Accra related to the oil and gas sector.
Notably, the event featured increased female participation, reflecting a positive trend in encouraging women to explore opportunities in the oil and gas industry.
Chairperson of the Gas Challenge Committee and Head of Government Relations Department of the Ghana National Gas Company, Augustina Asare Osei, expressed gratitude to all participants and emphasized the importance of events like the Gas Challenge in advancing gas education within society.
“It is worthy of notice that this year, there was an inclusion of an innovation session where selected Senior High Schools in Accra showcased their Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) projects relating to the oil and gas sector.
This year’s competition also recorded the participation of four (4) ladies; which is evidence that the Gas Challenge has drawn more females to participate in the contest hence, encouraging other ladies in the field to take advantage of the opportunities in the oil and gas sector,” she said during the contest.
Expressing his elation, Dr. Daniel Annang, Assistant Coach for the KNUST Lean Gas Team, highlighted the team’s resilience after overcoming a seven-point deficit in the initial rounds.
“We are so elated. This is the first time we have won. We have been in the finals three times. If you watched the contest very well, you will realize that within the first two rounds we were down by 7 points and we were able to pick ourselves up to round 4 where we were able to tie with UMAT, so we are so happy for winning,” he told UniversNews after the contest.
Looking ahead, he stated the team’s commitment to commencing preparations in January for the upcoming 5th edition of the challenge.
“Next year, we are going to start preparation from January. We will put in structures to make sure that we will win the competition again,” he added.
Contestant Emmanuel Cornan also echoed the sentiments, emphasizing the confidence gained from winning the preliminary stage and the dedication invested in their learning and practice sessions.
“We saw this coming because, right from the preliminary stage, we won our first contest, and we were very confident that we would win. A lot of learning and practice went into our preparations. We had quizzes and a lot of calculations while preparing, too. We are excited about coming to the finals three times and finally winning,” Emmanuel told UniversNews.
The champions, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, secured a substantial victory package, including a cash prize of GHC 40,000, a citation, a plaque, and individual laptops for all contestants.
Claiming the 1st runner-up position, the University of Mines and Technology earned a cash prize of twenty thousand cedis, laptops for the participating contestants, a commendatory citation, and a plaque.
Meanwhile, the 2nd runner-up, Regional Maritime University, was awarded a cash prize of fifteen thousand cedis, individual laptops for the participants, a prestigious plaque, and an honorary citation for the institution.
The theme for this year’s Gas Challenge, “Embracing the Future Together: Building a Sustainable Gas Industry Through Education,” underscored the competition’s commitment to shaping a knowledgeable and capable workforce for the gas industry.
As KNUST basks in their hard-fought victory, the anticipation for next year’s Gas Challenge already looms, promising heightened competition and continued engagement in the educational advancement of the gas sector.
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Story by: Kelly Adjetey Boye | univers.edu.gh
