Frank Owusu, founder of Aquamet and an alumnus of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at KNUST, has been named a runner-up in the prestigious 2025 Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
He received £10,000 for his groundbreaking work supporting smallholder fish farmers across Ghana.
Inspired by his personal experience during national service at the Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management, Owusu observed that many fish farmers were losing significant portions of their stock due to poor water quality.
This challenge is widespread in Ghana, where fish serves as the main protein source for about 70% of the population, and the aquaculture export sector generates over US$200 million annually.
Recognising that most farmers relied on intuition rather than data to manage their ponds, Owusu developed Aquamet, an affordable, data-driven system designed to empower farmers with real-time insights into their production environment.
Aquamet is a smart water-quality monitoring system that tracks key parameters such as oxygen levels and temperature, helping farmers improve yields, reduce losses, and enhance sustainability.
Owusu aims to extend Aquamet’s operations to Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire in the coming years, with the goal of reaching and supporting over 20,000 fish farmers within five years.
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