Team Nigeria delivered a dominant performance to claim all the top honours at the Pan African Youth Scrabble Championships, which ended on Sunday in Kenya.
Led by captain Sufyan Olojoku, the Nigerian squad clinched both the U-19 and U-15 individual and team titles, reaffirming the country’s supremacy in the sport.
“This is a proud moment for us. The players showed grit, focus, and the true Nigerian spirit,” Olojoku said after the victory. “Winning both team and individual titles proves our hard work is paying off.”
In the U-15 category, Sophia Ekeruche stole the spotlight with a flawless run, winning all 18 games with a remarkable cumulative score of +3871.
“I came here determined to give my best, and I’m glad my effort was rewarded,” Ekeruche said. “It’s an honour to win for Nigeria.”
Kenya’s Kingsley Odhiambo secured second place with 14 wins (+583), while Nigeria’s Hassan Olojoku finished third with 13 wins (+1387). Ghana’s Michael Somuah, despite also recording 13 wins, missed the podium on cumulative score (+796). Another Nigerian, Eliana Igbe, claimed 6th place with 12 wins (+1406). Nigeria’s strong showing also earned them the U-15 team crown ahead of Kenya and Ghana.
In the U-19 division, Prestige Archibong, who won the U-15 title in Lagos two years ago, edged compatriot Abdulqudus Aliu to the top spot. Both players finished with 18 wins from 24 games, but Archibong’s superior cumulative score (+2794) gave him the title over Aliu (+2568).
“It feels amazing to step up from U-15 champion to U-19 champion,” Archibong said. “Competing against my teammate Abdulqudus made it even tougher, but we both pushed each other to excel.”
Team captain Sufyan Olojoku narrowly missed the top two with 17 wins but still made the podium thanks to his strong cumulative score. Joy Nwabuzor and Olive Alila also finished among the top contenders, while the rest of the U-19 top 10 included Ghana’s Delali Aquila and Kenya’s Israel Otieno, Jerem Kipchumba, Samson Karani, and Emmanuel Wandera.
Nigeria also sealed the U-19 team title, with Ghana and Kenya taking second and third.
“With this clean sweep, Nigeria has once again proven to be the powerhouse of youth Scrabble in Africa,” said a visibly elated team official. “Our focus now is to keep nurturing these talents for global success.”
