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0 Four young spellers from Ghana and Nigeria delivered inspiring performances at the ongoing 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States, marking another significant milestone in Africa’s growing presence on the global academic stage.
The participation of both countries was facilitated by Young Educators Foundation /Africa (YEF/A), a not-for-profit committed to promoting literacy, and creating opportunities for African youth through international educational platforms and exchanges.
Representing Ghana was 11-year-old Eugene Osei Mensah, winner of The National Spelling Bee -Gh 2026 competition, while Nigeria was represented by Newton Temojo, champion of Scripps Spellingbee In Nigeria 2026, and Amazing-Grace Salami, a finalist of the same competition.
Competing among some of the world’s brightest young spellers, Eugene and Amazing -Grace exited during the preliminary rounds after missing their vocabulary words ‘cygnet’ and ‘corroborate’ respectively. At the same time, Newton advanced to the quarterfinals before bowing out on the vocabulary word ‘dissuade’.
Newton’s performance marks a notable improvement for Nigeria, following the country’s preliminary-round exit in the 2025 edition of the competition.
The competition also featured a remarkable performance from Keona-Dannette Osae-Twum, first runner-up of The National Spelling Bee Gh-2026, who represented New Jersey at the Scripps National Spelling Bee after training extensively with resources and coaches, and participating in the Ghana programme, Keona advanced to the semifinals before exiting on the word “amentiferous.”
Together, the performances of Eugene, Newton, Amazing-Grace and Keona reflect the growing strength of spelling and literacy development programs emerging across Africa and within the African diaspora.
Speaking after the competition,Convener of both programmes at Young Educators Foundation, Africa, Ms. Eugenia Tachie-Menson described this year’s participation as an important step in building long-term academic confidence and international exposure for young African students.
“Beyond the rankings, this experience continues to show African children that they belong on global platforms and can compete with excellence at the highest levels,” the organization noted.
The delegation also expressed appreciation to parents, coaches, educators, partners, and supporters in both Ghana and Nigeria, whose commitment made the journey possible.
While this year’s competition has concluded, organizers say preparations toward next year’s international participation have already begun, with renewed focus on literacy development, vocabulary mastery, and academic confidence-building among young Africans.
The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington DC, USA, bringing together elite young spellers from across the United States and around the world.
