A trio of 18-year-old innovators from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, has emerged as one of the top global winners at the 2025 Slingshot Challenge, with their project Reforest AI – a tech-driven solution designed to combat illegal deforestation using AI, embedded systems, and IoT.
Developed by Lesley John Jumbo, Bright Sunday, and Blessed Pepple, Reforest AI is a scalable platform that leverages edge computing and smart sensors to detect unauthorised logging, monitor forest health, and promote sustainable forestry practices.
Reforest AI combines low-power embedded devices, AI-based anomaly detection, and geospatial data mapping to track logging activity in forests and protected zones. By integrating Internet of Things (IoT) sensors with a centralised dashboard, Reforest AI provides forest rangers and policymakers with early warnings and insights for faster response and long-term monitoring.
The project has earned the team a Top Honors Award and a US$10,000 grant from the National Geographic Society and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, organisers of the Slingshot Challenge.
“The creativity and passion we’ve seen from this year’s Slingshot Challenge participants is nothing short of inspiring,” said Deborah Grayson, the NGS chief education officer. “These young innovators are not only identifying urgent environmental issues in their own communities, but they’re also developing tangible, thoughtful solutions to address them. The Slingshot Challenge is about enabling the next generation of changemakers, and this year’s awardees give us great hope for the future of conservation.”
