Alex Onyia, chief executive officer (CEO) of Educare and convener of the South East Mathematics Olympiad, has alleged that Nigeria has been delisted from the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).
Onyia made the claim in a post on X on Wednesday.
Claims Nigeria lost full participation
According to Onyia, Nigeria can no longer compete at the 2026 competition scheduled to hold in Shanghai, China.
He alleged that the country will only attend as an observer nation.
“Nigeria has now been delisted from the International Maths Olympiad, whose finals are happening in Shanghai, China, this July,” he wrote.
“Nigeria can now only participate as an observer nation, while other countries can participate fully.”
Blames funding failure
Furthermore, Onyia blamed the development on the Federal Ministry of Education.
He alleged that the ministry failed to fund Nigerian students’ participation through the National Mathematical Centre for four consecutive years.
“This was because of the Ministry of Education’s inability to fund students for four consecutive years through the National Mathematical Centre,” he wrote.
Describes development as ‘a shame’
Meanwhile, Onyia described the alleged delisting as a major setback for the country’s education sector.
He noted that the International Mathematical Olympiad is one of the world’s most prestigious academic competitions.
“It’s a big shame for Nigeria,” he wrote.
