Three students represent Nigeria at global STEM Olympiad in Italy
Three Nigerian students are representing the country at the Grand Finale of the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, Italy, where they are competing in Mathematics and Science events alongside participants from more than 150 countries.
The students — Egejurum Onyedikachi Ethan, 11, Onwubiko Chimduebube Victor, 13, and Don Anele Munachimso Marvelous, 17 — qualified for the competition after emerging among the top performers at the Southeast Mathematics Olympiad, organised by Educare CEO and education advocate, Alex Onyia, with over 11,500 contestants.
Accompanied by their teachers, the trio are competing at the Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma. Onyia, who sponsored their visas, flights, accommodation and other travel expenses, announced on Saturday that they had arrived at the competition venue.
“Today is D-day. Our boys are now at the Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma for the Grand Finale of the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, Italy. I’m optimistic about their victory,” Onyia wrote on X.
Ahead of the event, Onyia described Don Anele Munachimso Marvelous, Nigeria’s representative in the senior category, as one of the country’s brightest science students. He also expressed confidence in 11-year-old Egejurum Onyedikachi Ethan, saying the pupil was capable of achieving a perfect score and later revealed that Ethan also chose to compete in the Science category despite making no prior preparations.
The students’ participation comes amid growing concerns over Nigeria’s declining presence at international academic competitions. Education advocates recently revealed that the country was downgraded to observer status at the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad in Shanghai, China, after years of failing to participate competitively because of funding challenges.
Onyia described the development as a setback for gifted Nigerian students and called on the authorities to urgently address the funding issues affecting Nigeria’s participation in global academic contests.
According to BusinessDay, while the Federal Ministry of Education said it was unaware of the specific funding concerns surrounding the International Mathematical Olympiad, the privately funded participation of the three students in Rome has been viewed as an example of how non-government support can help talented Nigerian students gain international exposure. Results of the International STEM Olympiad are expected in the coming days.
