Nana Kwaku Boateng Basic School Wins VIA Road Safety Contest
Nana Kwaku Boateng Basic School in Koforidua has emerged winner of the 2026 VIA Safe Mobility for All Young People Programme national finals, taking home €4,000 after an impressive performance at the grand finale in Kumasi.
The school secured an average score of 83.63 points to beat seven other schools in the keenly contested competition held on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
The grand finale saw student ambassadors from the eight finalist schools deliver three-minute presentations on road safety as part of efforts to promote responsible road-use behaviour and protect young people from road traffic risks.
KNUST Senior High School placed second with 77.75 points, while Sacred Heart Senior High School from Sunyani secured third position with 76.50 points.
Prempeh College finished fourth with 76 points, followed by Kumasi Academy with 72.75 points. Church of Christ Senior High School placed sixth with 68.50 points, while Sunyani Senior High School came seventh with 67.50 points. Amakom SDA Junior High School finished eighth.
The competition marked the climax of months of activities under the initiative, which seeks to equip students with practical road safety knowledge and empower them to become advocates for safer mobility in their schools and communities.
The programme is sponsored by the TotalEnergies Foundation and implemented in Ghana by the Oli Best Road Safety Organisation, with support from TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana PLC and other stakeholders.
Road Safety
The Acting Area Manager of TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana PLC, Kumasi Business Area, Luke Kojo Asamoah, said safety remained a core value of the company and guided its operations as well as its engagement with communities.
Addressing participants at the grand finale, he said the company’s commitment to safety extended beyond its work sites and service stations to the roads used daily by the public, particularly children.
He explained that the VIA programme was designed to empower young people to identify road safety risks, educate their peers and promote safer practices among families and communities.
According to him, the participating students had demonstrated that young people were not merely beneficiaries of road safety education but could also become powerful agents of change.
He said the ambassadors had identified risks in their communities and proposed practical solutions to improve road safety.
Mr. Asamoah disclosed that the global VIA initiative was active in 45 countries and more than 2,000 schools, having educated and sensitised over one million young people on road safety.
He commended the participating schools, teachers and student ambassadors for their dedication, urging them to sustain their advocacy beyond the competition.
He said road safety required continuous commitment rather than one-day campaigns, adding that collective efforts were needed to create safer environments around schools and communities.
Global Competition
The Chief Executive Officer of the Oli Best Road Safety Organisation, Richard Karikari, described the grand finale as a significant milestone in Ghana’s participation in the global VIA community.
He said the programme, which began in Ghana approximately 11 months before the finals, had helped develop the knowledge, creativity and civic responsibility of the participating students.
Mr. Karikari explained that the programme involved several practical stages, including discovery walks to identify road hazards along routes used by students.
The ambassadors subsequently developed risk maps, prepared action plans and carried out engagement and sensitisation activities to address identified safety concerns.
They were also required to propose high-impact projects to be undertaken with their prize money.
He commended the TotalEnergies Foundation for sponsoring the initiative and TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana PLC for supporting its implementation in the country.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ghana Police Service, local assemblies, school heads and teachers.
Mr. Karikari said the participating schools had demonstrated commendable commitment, making the selection of an overall winner a difficult task.
He expressed hope that the winning school would progress through the subsequent stages of the international competition and ultimately represent Ghana at the final stage in Paris, France
.Participating Schools
The eight schools in the competition were Nana Kwaku Boateng Basic School in Koforidua; Sacred Heart Senior High School and Sunyani Senior High School in the Bono Region; and Prempeh College, KNUST Senior High School, Kumasi Academy, Church of Christ Senior High School and Amakom SDA Junior High School in the Ashanti Region.
The VIA Safe Mobility for All Young People Programme was established in 2019 by the TotalEnergies Foundation in partnership with the Michelin Corporate Foundation to educate young people under 18 on safe mobility.
The initiative seeks to reduce road traffic risks by turning students into active road safety ambassadors who can identify hazards, promote responsible road use and influence positive behavioural change among their peers, families and communities.
Organisers maintain that road safety requires more than traffic law enforcement, stressing the importance of education, public awareness and collective responsibility in protecting lives.
