NIGERIA: Team Nigeria Wins Gold at 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup in China

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

Team Nigeria has won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China, marking the country’s first appearance at the global competition.

The achievement was announced by the Nigeria Spelling Bee on Sunday, with participating schools also confirming that Nigerian contestants earned medals during the championship.

“Team Nigeria has won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China,” the Nigeria Spelling Bee announced.

Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin, confirmed that two of its students, 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 school said.

The four-member Nigerian delegation comprised the 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.

Before the tournament, the Nigeria Spelling Bee described the team’s participation as a historic milestone, noting that the students had progressed from the national competition to the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe, before earning qualification for the world stage.

“For the first time ever, Nigeria will be represented at the Spelling Bee World Cup. Their journey has been one of excellence and determination—beginning with the Nigeria Spelling Bee, progressing to the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe, and now advancing to the world stage,” the organisers said.

The organisers also noted that the young contestants were representing both Nigeria and the African continent.

“As they compete against the world’s finest young spellers, they carry with them the hopes of a nation and the pride of an entire continent,” the statement added.

Ahead of the championship, Oluwadamilola Adeolu, who qualified after emerging Junior Champion at the African Spelling Bee Championship, expressed confidence in the team’s chances.

“I am proud to be part of the Nigerian Spelling Bee and African Spelling Bee delegation travelling to the Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China, to represent Nigeria. I am looking forward to the competition, 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,” she said.