Gambian Student Kumba Banna Tekanyi Wins Global Huawei ICT Championship and Woman in Tech Award

Written by: Alieu Jallow

Kumba Banna Tekanyi, a young Gambian computer engineering student, has achieved a major international milestone after winning the Grand Prize at both the Regional and Global Finals of the Huawei ICT Competition 2025-2026 in Shenzhen, China. She also received the prestigious Woman in Tech Award, placing her among the world’s most outstanding young technology talents.

Tekanyi, a fourth-year Computer Engineering student at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Nigeria, earned the honours through her exceptional performance in the highly competitive Networking Track, where participants are tested on advanced networking concepts, practical engineering skills, and enterprise network design.

The Huawei ICT Competition is one of the world’s largest technology contests, bringing together thousands of university students from across the globe to demonstrate their expertise in information and communication technology. The competition aims to develop ICT talent and promote innovation among young people worldwide.

Speaking to The Fatu Network in a WhatsApp interview, Tekanyi expressed gratitude for the recognition she has received from home.

“Thank you so much to Women in STEM Gambia for this recognition and for the kind words. It truly means a lot to be seen and celebrated by a community that is dedicated to uplifting women like me. Being acknowledged back home, even while I am thousands of miles away studying, reminds me of why I do what I do. I am deeply grateful,” she said.

Explaining the achievement, Tekanyi said the Networking Track is designed to test a participant’s mastery of networking technologies and ability to solve real-world engineering challenges.

“The Networking Track of the Huawei ICT Competition is a rigorous technical examination of networking knowledge and hands-on skills. The competition tests candidates across routing and switching, wireless networking, network security, and enterprise network design and troubleshooting,” she explained.

She said her preparation involved extensive training on Huawei’s Versatile Routing Platform (VRP), configuring complex network topologies, and demonstrating proficiency in key networking protocols including OSPF, BGP, STP, VLAN design, and network security policies.

According to Tekanyi, the challenge at the heart of the competition reflects a real-world problem faced by network engineers globally: designing resilient, scalable, and secure enterprise networks capable of performing effectively under demanding conditions.

Despite her success, she said the journey was far from easy.

Among the obstacles she faced were limited access to Huawei laboratory equipment, the breadth of the technical syllabus, and the challenge of balancing competition preparations with the demanding requirements of a Computer Engineering degree programme.

A significant part of her preparation was conducted using Huawei’s eNSP network simulation platform, which allowed her team to replicate real-world networking environments.

The young engineer also highlighted the importance of teamwork, noting that she worked closely with two fellow students throughout the competition.

Beyond the technical challenges, however, Tekanyi said self-doubt proved to be her greatest obstacle.

“There were so many moments where I genuinely questioned whether I could get to where I am today whether I was good enough, prepared enough, or deserving of a stage this big. But I made a decision to keep pushing regardless of what I felt and to continue showing up and putting in the work,” she said.

As the recipient of the Woman in Tech Award, Tekanyi used the opportunity to encourage young women in The Gambia and beyond to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

“Don’t let being the only woman in the room silence you. The CLI doesn’t care about your gender. The router responds the same way to your commands as anyone else’s,” she said.

She stressed that technology requires diverse perspectives and that women have an essential role to play in shaping the future of innovation.

“Technology built without women is incomplete. Wherever your passion lies, pursue it without apology. Don’t wait until you feel fully ready because that moment rarely comes on its own. You grow into readiness by doing,” she added.

Reflecting on what the achievement means for The Gambia’s emerging technology sector, Tekanyi said the country has the talent to compete on the global stage but needs greater investment in ICT education and infrastructure.

“Even though I competed representing Nigeria, where I am currently schooling, my roots are Gambian and this achievement means everything to me in that context,” she said.

She noted that networking infrastructure forms the backbone of modern digital services, including banking, healthcare, education, and e-government systems.

Tekanyi also called for increased investment in quality engineering education, ICT competitions, mentorship programmes, and professional certification pathways in The Gambia.

“The talent exists in The Gambia. It just needs the right environment to flourish,” she concluded.

Her achievement serves as an inspiration to young Gambians, particularly girls aspiring to enter STEM fields, while demonstrating that Gambian talent can compete and excel on the world’s biggest technological stages.