Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP) D/A Basic School has emerged winner of the 2026 Connect Western Best Brains competition after 13 weeks of intense academic competition involving 27 public and private schools from 11 districts across the Western Region.
The competition, which sought to promote academic excellence and sharpen the intellectual abilities of students, culminated in a keenly contested grand finale featuring three outstanding schools.
BOPP D/A Basic School, Nana Katabra M/A ‘A’ JHS and St. Peter’s International School battled for the ultimate prize after progressing through several rounds of competition.
At the end of the grand finale, BOPP D/A Basic School emerged champions with 80 points, narrowly beating Nana Katabra M/A ‘A’ JHS, which scored 78 points. St. Peter’s International School placed third with 59 points.
As winners, BOPP D/A Basic School received a plaque, books, laptops for three contestants, a cash prize of GH¢10,000 and the coveted trophy.
Nana Katabra M/A ‘A’ JHS, the first runner-up, received a plaque, books, tablets for the contestants and GH¢10,000.
St. Peter’s International School, the second runner-up, was presented with a plaque, GH¢5,000, books and a science set donated by Dext Technology.
For the contestants and coordinators of BOPP D/A Basic School, the victory represented a remarkable turnaround after the school placed fourth in the previous edition.
Patrick Nana Aboagye, Coordinator for BOPP D/A Basic School, expressed his excitement over the achievement, describing the victory as the result of hard work, perseverance and teamwork.
“I just can’t explain my feelings at the moment. We’ve done so well. We’ve come a long way, and it’s been so tiring. The team has worked so hard. We’ve gone through a lot, and through thick and thin, today we are here.”
He thanked God for the achievement and pledged that the school would work even harder to retain the trophy in next year’s competition.
“We are really going to work hard, even harder, so that next year we can still retain this trophy as the winners of CWBBC,” he added.
The lead contestant for BOPP D/A Basic School, Nana Adjei Oteng Okyere, described the competition as a challenging but rewarding experience.
He urged students who hope to represent the school in future editions to take their studies seriously, expand their knowledge and dedicate more time to learning.
“The competition was a thriller because it had a lot of ups and downs, but in the end, we won. We would like to give thanks to Almighty God.”
He encouraged future contestants to broaden their scope of learning and prepare adequately if they are to bring the trophy back to the school.
A member of the Connect Western Best Brains committee, Ato Kwamina Otoo, said the standard of the competition has continued to improve over the years.
He noted that the programme is helping to identify and nurture young talents who could go on to excel in major academic competitions at the national level.
According to him, some former participants have already made their mark in major competitions, including the National Science and Maths Quiz.
“The quality keeps rising so far as the Connect Western Best Brains is concerned. It will shock you to know that at the last National Science and Maths Quiz, all three contestants for St. John’s School who made it to the semifinals were products of this particular competition.”
He expressed confidence that the exceptional performance of this year’s finalists could prepare them for bigger academic competitions in the future.
“This year, the quality has been really top-notch,” he said.
Sponsors of the competition expressed satisfaction with the progress and impact of the initiative, indicating their readiness to continue supporting the programme.
The 2026 Connect Western Best Brains competition was sponsored by Best Brain Publication Ltd, Varcity College, Bernice Beverages, Adwinsa Publication Ghana Ltd, GGP Images, Kart Multimedia, Dicent Ltd, Dext Technology Ltd, Abiba Alfah Foundation, Rab Energy Solutions Ltd, I.T Guardian and Adyss-Boo Technology Services.
The competition was partnered by Anaji Choice Mart and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
The successful 2026 edition has once again demonstrated the academic potential of students across the Western Region, with BOPP D/A Basic School now setting its sights on defending the championship in subsequent editions.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
