Nigeria’s 14 year old star secures African spelling bee title in stunning victory

A 14 year old Nigerian student, Oluwadamilola Adeolu, has emerged winner of the Junior category at the African Spelling Bee competition held in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Adeolu, a student of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado-Ekiti, clinched the top position after outperforming contestants from over 30 African countries at the continental contest held on March 20.

The achievement was disclosed on the website of the Nigeria Spelling Bee organisers, affiliated with the Federal Ministry of Education.

“At the end of the competition, Oluwadamilola Adeolu of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado-Ekiti emerged as the Junior Champion, securing a remarkable victory for Nigeria in the continental contest,” the statement read.

In the same category, Abdurrahman Yusuf of Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin, placed third, while Ashton Singh of South Africa finished second.

The statement added that Nigeria also emerged as the second-best country overall in the team rankings, highlighting its consistent performance at the competition.

“Strong Team Performance as Nigeria also secured the title of 2nd Best Country Spelling Bee Team in the overall group rankings, reaffirming the country’s consistency and strength in the African Spelling Bee competition,” it added.

Other members of Team Nigeria included Oghenetano Idoghor of Mountain Top Schools, Lagos; Chinedu Okediachi of Madonna International Schools; and Maryam Yusuf of Ar-Raheem International School, Ilorin.

The competition featured multiple stages, including a speed round where participants were required to spell 20 words within one minute, alongside single-word elimination rounds. Adeolu’s victory adds to her growing list of academic achievements, having previously excelled in several national and continental spelling contests, while Nigeria continues to maintain a strong record at the African Spelling Bee.