Team Nigeria has once again shown Africa its unmatched strength in Scrabble. At the just-concluded Pan African Youth Scrabble Championships in Nairobi, the young Nigerians swept every single top honour.
It was total dominance, from the U-15s to the U-19s. The boys and girls came, saw, and conquered.
Led by captain Sufyan Olojoku, the green-white-green squad clinched both the individual and team titles in the two age categories.
It was a clean sweep that confirmed Nigeria’s position as Africa’s Scrabble powerhouse.
Stars of the U-15 Battles
The biggest story of the U-15 division was Nigeria’s Sophia Ekeruche. She went unbeaten, scoring 18 victories with a remarkable cumulative tally of +3871.
Kenya’s Kingsley Odhiambo fought bravely but came second with 14 wins (+583). Nigeria’s Hassan Olojoku secured third place with 13 wins (+1387).
Ghana’s Michael Somuah also recorded 13 wins but lost the podium due to a weaker score line of +796.
Another Nigerian, Eliana Igbe, impressed with 12 wins (+1406), finishing in sixth place. Nigeria’s dominance ensured the team crown went to Lagos, ahead of hosts Kenya and Ghana.
U-19 Division: A Clash of Champions
The U-19 contest was fierce, filled with drama. Nigeria’s Prestige Archibong, already known as a former U-15 champion in Lagos two years ago, took the crown.
Archibong and fellow Nigerian Abdulqudus Aliu both finished with 18 wins from 24 games. But Archibong edged it with a higher score of +2794 compared to Aliu’s +2568.
Captain Sufyan Olojoku, though missing the top two, made the podium with 17 wins. His superior score pushed him above others in a tight race.
Other strong Nigerian performers included Joy Nwabuzor and Olive Alila. The rest of the top 10 featured Ghana’s Delali Aquila, along with Kenya’s Israel Otieno, Jerem Kipchumba, Samson Karani, and Emmanuel Wandera.
Nigeria clinched the U-19 team title, with Ghana and Kenya taking silver and bronze.
Nigeria’s Scrabble Powerhouse Legacy
Scrabble is not new territory for Nigeria. The country has long been respected worldwide in the sport. In 2015, Wellington Jighere made history by winning the World Scrabble Championship in Australia—the first African to ever do so.
The spectacular Sophia Ekeruche
Since then, Nigeria has consistently produced world-class players, dominating continental competitions and performing strongly on the global stage. This youth victory in Kenya shows the next generation is ready to carry that torch.
Sports Commission Reacts
Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, praised the young stars for their achievement.
“We are very excited to see that the objective of our Renewed Hope initiative for Sports Development is already yielding dividends,” he said.
Olopade added: “This is another massive achievement for our grassroots sports drive. Scrabble is a sport where Nigeria has always had impact internationally, and Kenya shows that the Scrabble Federation is on the right path.”
He stressed that the NSC is giving attention to all sports, not just the big ones. “The recent strong showings across football, weightlifting, basketball, badminton, Para sports, and now Scrabble, is a result of President Bola Tinubu’s new approach to sports development,” he concluded.
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