Citi FM, in collaboration with Channel One TV, has officially launched the 2026 edition of its flagship inter-regional schools’ competition, The Literacy Challenge, with this year’s contest challenging Junior High School (JHS) students to propose practical ways Ghana can responsibly integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into basic education.

Originally conceived as an essay-writing competition, The Literacy Challenge has evolved into a comprehensive academic contest that not only assesses participants’ reading and writing abilities but also evaluates their analytical reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

For this year’s edition, contestants are required to write an essay of not less than 600 words in the form of a letter to the Minister for Education.

As “youth consultants,” the students are expected to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the use of Artificial Intelligence in education and advise on how Ghana can effectively integrate AI into basic schools to improve teaching and learning while ensuring that pupils in rural and underserved communities are not left behind.

Speaking at the launch, General Manager of Citi FM, Bernard Avle, urged participants to produce original essays and resist the temptation to rely on Artificial Intelligence tools.

“It is important that you try and write it yourself, discuss it with people and own the essays,” he advised.

Mr Avle expressed optimism that the winning ideas would contribute meaningfully to national discussions on AI in education and could help shape future government policy.

He said he hoped the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, would consider some of the recommendations emerging from the students’ essays.

Reflecting on his own experience in a national quiz competition during his school days, Mr Avle emphasised that the true value of such competitions lies not only in winning but in the learning process itself.

“There is more learning in joining the competition than even in the joy of winning. If you enter the competition, it gives you confidence before you go to Senior High School. Competition itself is valuable,” he said.

He also stressed the need for Africa to actively shape the global conversation on Artificial Intelligence rather than simply adopting policies developed elsewhere.

“We at Citi FM and Channel One are a development media house, and we cannot let the AI conversation be decided in Washington and Europe. Africans have a say. We must decide our future by what we do. We cannot simply write an AI strategy at the Jubilee House and impose it on you. You have to tell the Minister what you think,” he stated.

Head of Programmes Production at Citi FM and Channel One TV, Apiorkor Ashong-Abbey, outlined the structure of this year’s competition.

She explained that the contest would be conducted in three stages, beginning with the essay-writing competition.

The top 100 contestants will proceed to an aptitude test, after which the three best-performing students from each region will be selected to form 16 regional teams for the quiz stage of the competition.

She disclosed that the overall winner of the essay competition will receive a cash prize of GH¢10,000 and a laptop.

In addition, the winning regional team will receive GH¢15,000, with each team member taking home GH¢5,000.

Members of the winning team will also receive trophies for their schools, medals and certificates of participation, while the second and third-placed teams will also receive prizes in recognition of their performance.

Chief Examiner for this year’s competition, Anis Haffar, challenged students to develop practical solutions to society’s challenges through critical thinking and innovation.

“At the end of the day, human values are very, very important in terms of how we raise young people,” he said.

He also encouraged teachers to nurture critical thinking skills from an early age, stressing that education should prepare children to become responsible adults.

“We’re not raising children to remain children. We are raising them to become adults, so they have to think like adults, and I don’t know anything else that can establish that better than critical thinking,” he noted.

Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Ziblim Alhassan Betintiche, commended Citi FM and Channel One TV for expanding The Literacy Challenge beyond the major cities in southern Ghana and making it a truly national competition.

“Those of us who are far away are the ones who need it more,” he remarked.

He pledged the Authority’s support by making library facilities across the regions available for future editions of the competition and expressed readiness to strengthen collaboration with the organisers.

The 2026 Literacy Challenge is open exclusively to Junior High School students aged between 11 and 15 years, providing young learners across the country with an opportunity to demonstrate their writing, analytical and critical thinking abilities while contributing ideas to one of the most important technological conversations shaping the future of education.