One year after funding stopped a 15-year-old maths genius, Nigeria has been delisted from the global Olympiad

SUMMARY

• Nigeria has been delisted from the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and will not compete at this year's finals in Shanghai, China.

• The development has revived memories of Agbo Adoga, the Nigerian teenager who scored a perfect 1600 SAT but reportedly missed the Olympiad last year amid a funding controversy.

• The delisting has sparked fresh debate over whether Nigeria is doing enough to support its brightest young minds on the global stage.

Nigeria will not compete at the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) after the country was delisted from the world's most prestigious mathematics competition.

The 67th edition of the prestigious global championship will take place in Shanghai this July, uniting elite secondary school math prodigies from over 100 countries.

However, due to a multi-year funding failure by the Federal Government through the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Nigerian students will not be allowed to fully compete for medals.

The development has disappointed many educators, parents and Nigerians on social media, who say it reflects the country's declining support for academically gifted students.

The news also brings back memories of a controversy that dominated headlines last year.

In 2025, 15-year-old Agbo Adoga captured international attention after scoring a perfect 1600 out of 1600 in the SAT.

This is an achievement recorded by only a tiny fraction of candidates worldwide.

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Shortly afterwards, education advocate Alex Onyia alleged that Adoga had qualified for the International Mathematical Olympiad but was unable to attend because there was no funding to sponsor Nigeria's delegation.

The allegation sparked widespread criticism, with many Nigerians questioning why one of the country's brightest students could miss such an important international competition.

At the time, the Federal Ministry of Education (under Tunji Alausa) denied receiving any formal request for Adoga's sponsorship.

However, internal officials at the NMC later confirmed that systemic, chronic budgetary deficits have plagued Nigeria's Olympiad allocations since 2022.

Because the country has been unable to adequately fund training camps or fly full six-student delegations to consecutive world finals, the IMO governing body ultimately downgraded Nigeria’s status.

Regardless of the differing accounts, Nigeria's absence from this year's Olympiad has reignited conversations about how the country identifies, prepares and supports exceptionally talented students.

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The International Mathematical Olympiad is widely regarded as the highest-level mathematics competition for secondary school students.

Every year, participants represent their countries while competing for medals, international recognition and opportunities that often lead to scholarships and admission into top universities around the world.

For many observers, Nigeria's delisting is about more than missing a competition.

It has become another talking point in the wider conversation about how the country nurtures young talent, particularly at a time when Nigerian students continue to excel individually in global examinations despite facing significant institutional challenges.

As teams from across the world prepare to compete in Shanghai this July, Nigeria's absence from one of the world's biggest academic stages is likely to leave many wondering how a country with so much mathematical talent ended up without a place in the competition.