Team Nigeria has won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup held in Shanghai, China, marking a historic achievement for the country.
The victory was confirmed by the Nigeria Spelling Bee and Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin, which announced that its students, Maryam Yusuf and Abdurrahman Yusuf, also won medals at the global competition.
Nigeria’s four-member team comprised 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.
The tournament marked Nigeria’s first-ever participation in the Spelling Bee World Cup after the team progressed from the Nigeria Spelling Bee to the African Spelling Bee Championship in Zimbabwe. Representing both Nigeria and Africa, the students competed against top young spellers from around the world.
Before the competition, Adeolu, who qualified after winning the Junior category at the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, expressed her determination to make Nigeria proud. At the continental event, Abdurrahman Yusuf placed third, while Team Nigeria finished as the second-best overall team, setting the stage for their gold-winning performance in Shanghai.