Team Nigeria has emerged winner of the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup held in Shanghai, China.
The achievement was announced by the Nigeria Spelling Bee in a post shared on its official Facebook page on Sunday.
Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin, also celebrated the achievement, revealing that two of its students, Maryam Yusuf and Abdurrahman Yusuf, were among the medal winners at the global competition.
In a post on its Facebook page, the school said: “Ar-Raheem International College students Maryam YUSUF and Abdurrahman YUSUF won medals at Spelling Bee World Cup final in Shanghai, China 2026.”
Nigeria’s triumph comes during the country’s maiden appearance at the Spelling Bee World Cup, having qualified through the Nigeria Spelling Bee and the African Spelling Bee Championship.
The Nigerian delegation comprised four 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.
Before the competition, the Nigeria Spelling Bee described the country’s qualification 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 in Shanghai.
The organisers also said the students would be representing not only Nigeria but the entire African continent as they competed against some of the world’s best young spellers.
Ahead of the tournament, Adeolu expressed excitement about representing Nigeria internationally, saying she looked forward to competing against top spellers from across the world, improving her vocabulary and confidence, and returning home with the title.
Her qualification followed an outstanding performance at the African Spelling Bee Championship in Zimbabwe, where she emerged Junior category champion after defeating contestants from more than 30 African countries.
At the same continental championship, Abdurrahman Yusuf finished third, while Team Nigeria secured second place overall, underlining the country’s growing prominence in international spelling competitions.
