Education
Meet the three Nigerian geniuses taking on the world in Rome
Three Nigerian students are representing the country at the Grand Finale of the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, competing with participants from 154 other countries. Their sponsor says the students have completed their final examinations, with results expected at an award ceremony on Tuesday, July 7.
Nigerian students fly the flag in Rome
Three Nigerian students are representing the country at the Grand Finale of the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, Italy, where they are competing against participants from 154 other countries in one of the world's biggest science, technology, engineering and mathematics competitions.
The Nigerian contingent comprises Egejurum Onyedikachi Ethan, 11, competing in the Primary category; Onwubiko Chimduebube Victor, 13, representing the Junior category; and Don Anele Munachimso Marvelous, 17, competing in the Senior category.
The competition is being held at the Universita Campus Bio-Medico di Roma and brings together young participants from around the world in Mathematics, Science and Coding.
According to their sole sponsor, Mr. Alex Onyia, the students have completed their final examinations, with winners expected to be announced at the award ceremony on Tuesday, July 7.
Our boys are back from the final exam at the International STEM Olympiad. Results will be announced on Tuesday, July 7 at the award ceremony.
— Alex Onyia, Nigerian education technology entrepreneur, software engineer and education advocate
Sponsor expresses confidence in team
Onyia expressed optimism about the students' performance, saying they had demonstrated exceptional brilliance before the competition.
He spoke about each contestant's academic strengths and said their records reflected the level of talent Nigeria brought to the event.
On Onwubiko Chimduebube Victor, Onyia described the JSS3 student as the country's best junior secondary school mathematician and said he had successfully studied K.A. Stroud's Engineering Mathematics.
This JSS3 boy, Victor Onwubiko, has finished K.A. Stroud's Engineering Mathematics back to back. He is the best mathematician in the country at the junior secondary level,
— Alex Onyia, Nigerian education technology entrepreneur, software engineer and education advocate
Profiles of the three contestants
Speaking on Egejurum Onyedikachi Ethan, Onyia said the 11-year-old Primary Six pupil has mathematical ability far beyond his class level.
He said the pupil had shown unusual confidence going into the competition and believed he could deliver an outstanding result in Mathematics.
He is in Primary 6 but does wonders with mathematics that make SS3 students tremble. He is very confident that he might get a perfect score at the Mathematics competition,
— Alex Onyia, Nigerian education technology entrepreneur, software engineer and education advocate
Onyia also praised Don Anele Munachimso Marvelous, describing him as one of Nigeria's brightest science students. According to him, the teenager emerged as Nigeria's best Chemistry student in the IGCSE examination, won the ₦5 million star prize at the 2026 South East Maths Olympiad, finished first at the National Mathematics Competition in Abuja and secured a $100,000 scholarship in Canada.
He is currently the best in Chemistry for IGCSE in Nigeria. His head is filled with maths and science. He is such a gentle and well-behaved boy. He is a star,
— Alex Onyia, Nigerian education technology entrepreneur, software engineer and education advocate
Call for stronger national support for education
Beyond the competition, Onyia stressed the importance of sustained investment in education and human capital development. He argued that countries that place education at the centre of national planning eventually become global economic powers.
He said science, technology and innovation remain essential to national competitiveness and urged a shift in how education is valued.
Every developed nation first became an education superpower before becoming an economic superpower. Education is not another sector. Education is the operating system of a nation. Everything else runs on it,
— Alex Onyia, Nigerian education technology entrepreneur, software engineer and education advocate
We are not grooming children just to survive Nigeria. We are grooming a generation that will compete with the best minds on earth. Our education must move from survival to global domination,
— Alex Onyia, Nigerian education technology entrepreneur, software engineer and education advocate
Concern over absence of Nigerian officials
Onyia also expressed concern over the absence of Nigerian government representatives at the international event. He said delegates from countries including China and Singapore were present in Rome to support their students.
He contrasted that with Nigeria's absence at the event and said no government delegate from the country was on ground.
The International STEM Olympiad is an annual global competition designed to identify and reward exceptional young talents in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, while promoting innovation, problem-solving and international collaboration among students.
Today in Rome, I could see different government delegates from other countries, including China and Singapore, right here to support their students. No single government delegate from Nigeria,
— Alex Onyia, Nigerian education technology entrepreneur, software engineer and education advocate