By Tata Mbunwe
At just 20, Britney Moukoko is living her passion and is already a name to reckon with in Cameroon’s tech scene.
The Computer Engineering student at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon is proving that age is no barrier to making a significant impact in a field many young women in sub-Saharan Africa still consider difficult to break into.
Britney’s journey is an example of a new generation of African young women who are not just participants in the digital revolution but are leading it.
Her story began to gain international recognition in 2022 when, at the age of 16, she was selected for the prestigious TechGirls Program at Virginia Tech in the United States.
This month-long exchange, funded by the US State Department, brought together young women from across the globe to immerse themselves in technology and leadership.
Even on this global scene, Britney excelled and won that year’s Tech Girls Award for her community work.
The seed of innovation planted during the program blossomed into her first major project, the Smart Agricultural Monitoring System (SAMS). She launched SAMS in 2024, the year she turned 18, Britney created an innovative system that uses sensors to monitor temperature and humidity, providing farmers with critical data to protect and nurture their crops.
This project, aimed at solving a real-world problem in Cameroon’s agricultural sector, earned her recognition at the national level, winning third place out of 631 project submission nationwide and a 2.5 million francs CFA cash prize at the 2026 best ICT project awards.
The results were declared July 31 in Yaounde by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
Beyond her personal achievements, Britney is deeply committed to creating opportunities for others. She founded the Bright Future Builders Initiative, and he mission has been to reach and empower as many young Cameroonians as possible.
Britney’s efforts have already touched the lives of over 10,000 young people through various programmes, including education, tech bootcamps, orphanage visits and back-to-school initiatives.
Her impact is tangible. She has trained over 100 young girls in tech skills and a further 80 in entrepreneurial skills. In September 2024, she sponsored the education of over 200 indigent children and supported 100 low-income farmers by providing them with essential seeds as a first step toward implementing SAMS project in the field.
Her dedication has been recognized by the highest authorities. She has had a private audience with the Minister of Post and Telecommunications in Cameroon to discuss innovative educational initiatives leveraging technology to empower young girls in rural communities.
Britney’s story presents hope for the Cameroonian and African young girl who is striving to break traditional, social and economic barriers to excel in a digitalized world.