Three Nigerian Students Arrive Rome for International STEM Olympiad with Private Sponsorship

Three exceptional Nigerian students have arrived in Rome, Italy, to compete at the International STEM and Coding Olympiads, where they will represent Nigeria alongside some of the world's brightest young innovators.

The students—Chimdiebube Onwubiko, Egejurum Onyedikachi, and Don Anele Munachimso Marvelous—travelled to Italy on July 2, with all expenses, including travel, accommodation, registration, and logistics for the students and two accompanying teachers, fully sponsored by education technology entrepreneur Alex Onyia. The sponsorship is reportedly valued at over €30,000.

One of the participants, Egejurum Onyedikachi, a Primary 6 pupil from Owerri, earned widespread attention after outperforming much older contestants during a regional STEM competition organised by Onyia, securing his place in the international event.

Another representative, Don Anele Munachimso Marvelous, will compete in the Senior Category of the Olympiad. He is widely recognised as one of Nigeria's brightest science students and is currently regarded as the country's top performer in IGCSE Chemistry.

Speaking ahead of the competition, Alex Onyia described Don as an exceptionally gifted student with a deep passion for mathematics and science, expressing confidence that the Nigerian team can compete favourably against participants from countries such as China, Singapore, and the United States.

The initiative has attracted widespread praise from Nigerians, with many commending the private sponsorship while also calling for greater government investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to support talented young people representing the country on the global stage.

The students are expected to begin their competitions in Rome as they seek to bring international honours to Nigeria.