Team Nigeria has made history by winning the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup, held in Shanghai, China. The competition ran from Friday, July 10, to Monday, July 20, 2026.
Historic First Appearance Ends in Gold
The Nigeria Spelling Bee confirmed the victory on its official Facebook page on Sunday, July 19, 2026, stating: "Team Nigeria has won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China." This achievement carries extra significance as it was Nigeria's first-ever appearance at the Spelling Bee World Cup.
According to reports from The Punch, the four-member squad earned their place at the global competition by advancing through the Nigeria Spelling Bee and the African Spelling Bee Championship held in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The Winning Team
The team comprised Oluwadamilola Adeolu of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado-Ekiti (2026 African Spelling Bee Junior champion); Abdurrahman Yusuf of Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin; Chinedu Okediachi of Madonna International Schools, Asaba; and Maryam Yusuf of Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin.
Ar-Raheem International College confirmed on its Facebook page that both Maryam Yusuf and Abdurrahman Yusuf won medals at the competition: "Ar-Raheem International College students Maryam YUSUF and Abdurrahman YUSUF won medals at the Spelling Bee World Cup final in Shanghai, China 2026."
Journey to the World Cup
Before the tournament, the Nigeria Spelling Bee described the journey as one of "excellence and determination." The organisation noted that the spellers had worked their way from national competition to the continental stage and finally to the World Cup, representing not just Nigeria but the African continent as a whole.
At the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Adeolu won the Junior category, outperforming contestants from more than 30 African countries. Abdurrahman Yusuf finished third at the same event, while Nigeria placed second overall as a team.
Ahead of the competition, Adeolu said she was looking forward to: "The competition itself, meeting new spellers across the world, boosting my vocabulary and confidence on the global stage and also raising the trophy and bringing it back home."
Nigeria's Recent Academic Successes
This gold medal follows other Nigerian academic achievements. Three Nigerian students—Chimdiebube Onwubiko, Onyedikachi Egejurum, and Don Anele Munachimso—won gold at the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, Italy. They competed against the brightest young scientific minds from around the world to emerge victorious in their categories. The Nigerian representatives were sponsored by Alex Onyia, an education advocate and CEO of Educare.
Additionally, a Covenant University student won a N50 million grant during a Federal Government program for his AI project, sparking reactions on social media.
