Ekiti governor awards full scholarship, ₦2 million to 14-year-old world spelling bee champion Damilola Adeolu

• Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji awarded world spelling bee champion Damilola Adeolu a full scholarship from SS2 through university, alongside monthly allowances and learning materials. 

• The 14-year-old also received a ₦2 million cash reward, while her school and coach were rewarded with ₦2 million and ₦1 million, respectively. 

• Adeolu won two gold medals at the World Spelling Bee Championship in Shanghai after previously emerging as the champion at both the national and African competitions. 

Fourteen-year-old Damilola Adeolu has been honoured by the Ekiti State Government weeks after capping off a remarkable spelling bee journey.

After winning the Nigeria Spelling Bee and the 2026 African Spelling Bee Championship (Junior Category) in Harare, Zimbabwe, she went on to represent Africa at the World Spelling Bee Championship in Shanghai, China, where she won two gold medals.

The state awarded her a full scholarship from Senior Secondary School 2 (SS2) through university, alongside monthly upkeep allowances, educational support and a ₦2 million cash gift.

Damilola, an SS1 student of St Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado Ekiti, represented Africa at the global competition after emerging as the champion at both the National and African Spelling Bee Championships earlier this year. 

The governor announced the rewards during a reception at the Governor's Office in Ado Ekiti attended by Damilola, her parents, Rev. and Mrs Adeolu, her coach, Esther Omolayo, and the proprietor of her school, Lawrence Oluwafemi. 

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Beyond paying all her tuition from SS2 through university, Oyebanji said the state government would provide monthly welfare support as well as learning materials, including books and a computer, to help the young scholar continue excelling academically. 

"You have made us extremely proud. You have conquered the world, but you need to conquer the future. The future is ahead of you," the governor said.

He added that his administration remains committed to investing in education, aligning school curricula with 21st-century realities and creating opportunities for young people in Ekiti State to compete globally.

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The state government also rewarded Damilola's school with ₦2 million and presented her coach, Esther Omolayo, with ₦1 million in recognition of her role in preparing the champion. 

Speaking after the ceremony, school proprietor Lawrence Oluwafemi thanked the governor for sponsoring the team's trip to Shanghai, noting that the support made it possible for Damilola to represent Africa at the championship. 

Before the competition, the Ekiti State Government had also awarded an earlier ₦8 million package following her African title and funded the travel expenses of Damilola, her mother, coach and school representatives to China. 

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Damilola, meanwhile, expressed gratitude for the recognition and encouraged other young Nigerians to keep believing in themselves.

Her story emphasises Ekiti's long-standing reputation as Nigeria's "Fountain of Knowledge" and reflects the growing emphasis some state governments are placing on rewarding academic excellence alongside achievements in sports and entertainment. 

For many students, the governor's gesture sends a clear message that exceptional academic performance can open life-changing opportunities.