Team Nigeria has won 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 feat, confirming that two of its students, Maryam Yusuf and Abdurrahman Yusuf, were among the medal winners at the global competition.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the school said: “Ar-Raheem International College students Maryam Yusuf and Abdurrahman Yusuf won medals at the Spelling Bee World Cup final in Shanghai, China 2026.”
Nigeria’s victory came during its maiden appearance at the Spelling Bee World Cup after qualifying through the Nigeria Spelling Bee and the African Spelling Bee Championship.
The Nigerian team comprised Oluwadamilola Adeolu of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado-Ekiti, who is the 2026 African Spelling Bee junior champion, Maryam Yusuf and Abdurrahman Yusuf of Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin and Chinedu Okediachi of Madonna International Schools, Asaba.
Before the tournament, the Nigeria Spelling Bee described the country’s qualification as a historic milestone, noting that the team progressed from the national competition to the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe, before earning a place at the World Cup in Shanghai.
The organisers said the students represented not only Nigeria but also the African continent as they competed against some of the world’s best young spellers.
Ahead of the competition, Adeolu expressed excitement about representing Nigeria on the global stage, saying she hoped to compete against top spellers from around the world, improve her vocabulary and confidence, and return home with the title.
Adeolu qualified for the World Cup after emerging junior champion at the African Spelling Bee Championship in Zimbabwe, where she defeated contestants from more than 30 African countries.
At the same continental championship, Abdurrahman Yusuf finished third, while Team Nigeria placed second overall, further highlighting the country’s growing success in international spelling competitions.
