Four Nigerian Students Win Gold at Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai.
Four Nigerian students make history with first-ever appearance at global competition.
Team Nigeria has won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup, held in Shanghai, China, from July 14 to 19.
The four-member team – Adeolu Oluwadamilola Oreofe, Abdurrahman Yusuf, Chinedu Okediachi, and Maryam Yusuf – competed against participants from Asia, Africa, the United States, China, and Canada. Other African countries represented at the event included Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
The Nigeria Spelling Bee announced the achievement on its official Facebook page on Sunday, describing the victory as a remarkable milestone for the country.
The victory carries extra meaning because this was Nigeria’s first-ever appearance at the Spelling Bee World Cup. The team’s journey to the global stage began at the Nigeria Spelling Bee before they progressed to the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe, where they earned their place at the world competition.
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The Nigerian delegation comprised four outstanding students: 2026 African Spelling Bee Junior champion Oluwadamilola Adeolu of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado-Ekiti; Abdurrahman Yusuf and Maryam Yusuf of Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin; and Chinedu Okediachi of Madonna International Schools, Asaba.
Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin, confirmed that two of its students, Maryam Yusuf and Abdurrahman Yusuf, were among the medal winners at the international competition.
The school wrote on its Facebook page: “Ar-Raheem International College students Maryam YUSUF and Abdurrahman YUSUF won medals at Spelling Bee World Cup final in Shanghai, China 2026”.
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Chinedu Great Okediachi has since returned to Delta State, where he received a hero’s welcome at Asaba International Airport. He was greeted by family members, friends, supporters, and well-wishers who gathered to celebrate the team’s achievement.
The Nigeria Spelling Bee shared videos of the reception, describing the homecoming as recognition of the student’s efforts and the team’s performance in China.
“Chinedu was a member of the historic Team Nigeria that won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category, bringing honour and pride to Nigeria on the global stage,” the organisers stated.
Before the competition, the organisers described the Nigerian representatives as “brilliant, articulate and exceptional”. The team’s qualification was described as a historic milestone, noting that the young contestants had progressed from the national competition to the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe, before earning the opportunity to compete on the world stage.
The victory in Shanghai builds on Nigeria’s strong performance at the African Spelling Bee Championship, where Adeolu emerged champion of the Junior Category and Abdurrahman Yusuf finished third overall. Nigeria also emerged as the second-best team at the continental competition.
As Nigeria continues to make its mark in international academic competitions, the four students have brought honour to the country and inspired young Nigerians to pursue excellence through education.
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