The Asagba of Asaba, Delta State, Epiphany Azinge, has awarded a full scholarship to university level to Chinedu Okediachi, Nigeria’s gold medal winner at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China.
The Nigeria Spelling Bee announced the scholarship in a statement shared on its Facebook page on Wednesday. The organisation thanked the monarch for supporting Okediachi’s education and described the gesture as a reflection of his commitment to promoting learning and academic excellence.
The Nigeria Spelling Bee said the scholarship would help secure Okediachi’s future. It added that the gesture would inspire other students in the community.
“Our sincere gratitude to His Royal Majesty, the Asagba of Asaba, for awarding our Spelling Bee World Cup Gold Award medalist, Chinedu Great Okediachi of Madonna International College Asaba, a full scholarship through to the university level.
“Your Majesty’s extraordinary generosity and commitment to education will shape a bright future for our champion and inspire our entire community,” the statement read.
Okediachi, a student of Madonna International College, Asaba, represented Nigeria at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup. He was among the four members of Team Nigeria that won the Gold Award in the Middle School Group Category.
The competition held in Shanghai, China, from 10 to 20 July. The team also included Oluwadamilola Adeolu of St Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado-Ekiti, and Abdurrahman Yusuf and Maryam Yusuf of Ar-Raheem International College, Ilorin.
The victory marked Nigeria’s first appearance at the global tournament. The students earned their place at the world competition after progressing through the Nigeria Spelling Bee and the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe.
At the continental qualifiers, Adeolu emerged champion of the Junior category after defeating contestants from more than 30 African countries.
Meanwhile, Yusuf finished third at the same event, while Nigeria placed second overall among participating nations.
Before the global competition, the Nigeria Spelling Bee described the students’ journey as one marked by excellence and determination. The organisation said the team carried the hopes of Nigeria and Africa into the tournament.
Following their performance, the organisers said the achievement further demonstrated Nigeria’s growing presence in international spelling competitions.
