Nigerian students win three STEM gold medals in Rome, thanks to education advocate's sponsorship

Three Nigerian students have achieved a significant victory at the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, Italy, securing gold medals in the Primary, Junior, and Senior categories. Their success was made possible by the sponsorship of Alex Onyia, an education advocate and CEO of Educare.

Onyia invested €30,500 of his own funds to support the students' participation, with an additional €2,000 raised from public support. He explained that the motivation behind this investment was to inspire other children across Nigeria. "We needed to do something that could motivate many other children," Onyia stated. "We were inspired to participate in the competition to show that a child from any community or village can also have the opportunity to express himself in different parts of the world if he can just put in that little effort."

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We needed to do something that could motivate many other children. We were inspired to participate in the competition to show that a child from any community or village can also have the opportunity to express himself in different parts of the world if he can just put in that little effort.

The students selected for the international competition were chosen from the South-East Mathematics Olympiad, which saw participation from over 11,500 children. Preparations for the STEM Olympiad began in March, following the local competition, and involved rigorous training. Onyia described the process as "quite tough" but ultimately rewarding.

Reflecting on the achievement, Onyia expressed immense pride and excitement. He believes this victory highlights the untapped potential within Nigerian students. "The truth of the matter is that the brightest students in the world are Nigerians, but it is unfortunate that..." he stated, implying that systemic issues may hinder their full development. Onyia's initiative aims to counteract this by providing opportunities for young Nigerians to showcase their talents globally.

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The truth of the matter is that the brightest students in the world are Nigerians, but it is unfortunate that...