Nigerian students clinch gold at global spelling championship in China
A team of Nigerian students has won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group category at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup held in Shanghai, China.
The four-member team, comprising Adeolu Oluwadamilola Oreofe, Abdurrahman Yusuf, Chinedu Okediachi and Maryam Yusuf, emerged champions after outperforming contestants from Asia, Africa, the United States, China and Canada during the competition, which took place from July 14 to 19.
Other African countries represented at the championship included Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The Nigeria Spelling Bee announced the achievement on its official Facebook page, describing the victory as a major milestone for the country. “Team Nigeria has won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China,” the post read.
The organisers said the students had earlier distinguished themselves in the Nigeria Spelling Bee before qualifying for the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe, where they earned a place at the global competition.
Ahead of the championship, the organisers had expressed confidence in the team’s ability to excel, describing the Nigerian representatives as brilliant, articulate and exceptional.
Reacting to the victory, the organisers said the achievement reflected the students’ determination, resilience and commitment to academic excellence.
Meanwhile, Ar-Raheem International College disclosed that two of its students were among the four-member Nigerian team that secured the gold medal at the prestigious international competition.
