2026 Spelling Bee World Cup: Nigerian Students Win Gold at Global Competition in China
- Team Nigeria claimed gold in the Middle School Group Category at the Spelling Bee World Cup held in Shanghai, China
- The four-member squad made Nigeria's first-ever appearance at the global competition after qualifying through the African Spelling Bee Championship
- Two students from Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin, were among the medal winners at the international event
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering basic and tertiary education in Nigeria and worldwide.
Shanghai, China - Team Nigeria made history by winning the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup, in Shanghai, China.
The global competition was held from Friday, July 10 to Monday, July 20, 2026.
Source: Facebook
The Nigeria Spelling Bee confirmed the victory on its official Facebook page on Sunday, July 19, 2026.
"Team Nigeria has won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China."
Nigeria's historic Spelling Bee World Cup debut
The achievement carries added significance because this was Nigeria's first-ever appearance at the Spelling Bee World Cup.
As reported by 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 team comprised Oluwadamilola Adeolu of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado-Ekiti, who is the 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."
The road to Spelling Bee World Cup
Before the tournament, the Nigeria Spelling Bee described the journey as one of "excellence and determination."
It noted that the spellers had worked their way from national competition to the continental stage and finally to the World Cup.
The organisation added that the students were 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."
Nigerian students clinch gold at International STEM Olympiad
Recall that three Nigerian students, Chimdiebube Onwubiko, Onyedikachi Egejurum and Don Anele Munachimso, won gold at the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, Italy.
The Nigerian lads went head-to-head with the brightest young scientific minds from around the world to emerge victorious in their competition categories.
The Nigerian representatives were all sponsored to the International STEM Olympiad by Alex Onyia, an education advocate and the CEO of Educare.
Covenant University student wins N50m grant
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that a Nigerian student of Covenant University won a N50m grant during a Federal Government program with his AI project.
The school celebrated the young man for his achievements and shared details about his AI invention and grant usage.
The story triggered reactions on social media, and many took to the comments to react to the young man’s achievement.
Source: Legit.ng
