Nigerian Students Win Gold at 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup in China

Four Nigerian students have emerged champions at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China, after securing the Gold Award in the Middle School Group category of the international competition.

The Nigerian team, comprising Adeolu Oluwadamilola Oreofe, Abdurrahman Yusuf, Chinedu Okediachi and Maryam Yusuf, defeated competing teams from different parts of the world to claim the top honour at the championship.

The competition was held in Shanghai from July 14 to 19 and featured young participants from Asia, Africa, the United States, China and Canada.

African countries represented at the event included Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe, highlighting the international breadth of the competition and the level of competition faced by the Nigerian contingent.

The Nigeria Spelling Bee announced Team Nigeria's victory in a post on its official Facebook page on Sunday.

“Team Nigeria has won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China,” the organisation stated.

The victory was described by the organisers as a significant achievement for the young Nigerian spellers and a reflection of their determination, resilience and commitment to academic excellence.

The students' journey to the global championship began at the Nigeria Spelling Bee, where they emerged as representatives of the country before progressing to the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Their performance at the continental competition earned them the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the World Cup in Shanghai, where they eventually secured the Gold Award in the Middle School Group category.

Ahead of the international contest, organisers had described the Nigerian representatives as “brilliant, articulate and exceptional”, expressing confidence in their ability to compete successfully against some of the best young spellers from around the world.

The team's eventual victory has now been celebrated as a major accomplishment for Nigeria's young scholars and the country's spelling and academic development programmes.

The achievement also drew recognition from Ar-Raheem International College, which announced that two of its students were members of the four-person Team Nigeria that won the gold medal at the global competition.

The success of the Nigerian team in Shanghai adds to a growing record of international achievements by young Nigerians in academic and intellectual competitions, while also highlighting the potential of sustained investment in education, mentorship and talent development.

The organisers congratulated the four students for their performance, praising their discipline and dedication throughout the competition journey from the national level, through the African championship in Zimbabwe, to the global stage in China.