By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Benin has secured third
place in Africa at the 2026 International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence
(IOAI), recording its strongest performance yet at the global competition held
in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The achievement came during
Benin’s second participation in the international competition, which brought
together 437 candidates from 106 countries to test their capabilities in
artificial intelligence and related technologies.
Two young Beninese
participants were recognised for their performance at the 2026 edition.
GUIDIMADJEGBE Emmanuel Christiano, a student at the Catholic College Notre-Dame
de Lourdes in Porto-Novo, won a bronze medal, while NGUEBOU Raphael, a student
at Lycée Technique F.M. Coulibaly in Cotonou, received an honourable mention.
The results mark a
significant improvement from Benin’s debut at the IOAI in 2025 in Beijing,
where the country secured an honourable mention.
The Ministry of Digital
Transformation and Innovation of Benin said the performance demonstrates the
progress being made in developing the country’s artificial intelligence
capabilities and nurturing a new generation of technology talent.
The government also
commended the eight members of the Beninese delegation, as well as their
mentors, supervisors and the teams involved in preparing the delegation for the
international competition.
The ministry said continued
investment in training and skills development remains central to the
government’s strategy of using digital technology and artificial intelligence
as drivers of economic development and national competitiveness.
