VIDEO: ‘I didn’t cry, I stayed focused,” says Nigerian STEM olympiad gold medallist

One of the three Nigerian students who won gold medals at the Grand Finale of the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, Italy, Egejurum Onyedikachi, has reflected on his journey to emerging as the world’s best in the Mathematics Primary Category.

The young scholar described the competition as challenging at the outset but said he remained focused and determined throughout the contest.

“It went well, at least I’m happy at the end. Although at the beginning it was kind of rough, I didn’t cry, I was just sad. But at the ending I came victorious and brought home a gold medal to Nigeria,” he said.

Onyedikachi’s achievement has been celebrated by Nigerians, with many praising his resilience, determination and exceptional academic ability on the global stage.

His triumph comes after three Nigerian students secured gold medals at the Grand Finale of the International STEM Olympiad, marking a major achievement for the country on the global academic stage.

The announcement was made by education advocate and Educare CEO, Alex Onyia, who sponsored the students’ participation in the competition after they emerged among the top performers at the Southeast Mathematics Olympiad.

Sharing the development on X, Onyia initially wrote, “The wait is over. We have two golds: Chimdiebube Onwubiko and Don Anele Munachimso. We are the best in the world!”

He later confirmed that Onyedikachi had also been awarded a gold medal, while Don Anele secured a second gold medal in Science.

“More good news. Don Anele Munachimso also won gold in Science. He is the best in world science. Remember, he is the best in IGCSE Chemistry in Nigeria. The investment is worth it,” Onyia wrote.

In another update, he announced, “Onyedikachi Egejurum got a Gold. He is the best in Mathematics in the world Primary Category. This is the beginning of greatness for the country.”

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The International STEM Olympiad, held at the Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, attracted participants from more than 150 countries competing in Mathematics and Science events.

The three students, 11-year-old Egejurum Onyedikachi, 13-year-old Onwubiko Chimdiebube and 17-year-old Don Anele Munachimso, qualified to represent Nigeria after emerging among the best contestants at the Southeast Mathematics Olympiad, a competition organised by Onyia that attracted more than 11,500 participants from across the region.

Following their success at the regional competition, Onyia sponsored their participation in the International STEM Olympiad, covering the costs of registration, visas, flights, accommodation and other travel expenses to enable them compete in Rome.

The students, accompanied by their teachers, represented Nigeria in the primary, junior and senior categories at the global competition, delivering an outstanding performance that has drawn praise from across the country.

Watch the video below:

𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: ‘𝐈 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐲, 𝐈 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝,” 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

Credit: X | winexviv

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