TDNigeria has been delisted from full participation in the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), one of the world’s most prestigious mathematics competitions for secondary school students, following four consecutive years of funding failures by the Federal Ministry of Education through the National Mathematical Centre (NMC).
The development means that Nigeria will only be able to attend the IMO finals in Shanghai, China, this July as an observer nation, losing the right to field contestants in the competition.
The disclosure was made by education advocate and founder of Educare, Alex Onyia.
Onyia described the situation as a national embarrassment and a reflection of the country’s declining commitment to academic excellence.
According to Onyia, the delisting resulted from the government’s inability to consistently sponsor Nigerian students to participate in the competition over the past four years.
The International Mathematical Olympiad is widely regarded as the premier global mathematics competition for high school students, bringing together some of the brightest young minds from around the world to compete in advanced problem-solving and mathematical reasoning.
Observers say Nigeria’s absence from active participation underscores longstanding concerns about inadequate investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
This is despite the country’s history of producing talented mathematics students through local and international competitions.
The development has also sparked criticism from members of the public, many of whom questioned government spending priorities.
Critics argue that while substantial resources are allocated to various projects and programmes, critical educational initiatives capable of nurturing future scientists, engineers and innovators continue to face funding shortages.
In the meantime, though, Onyia announced that preparations for the 2027 South East Maths Olympiad have recorded a major milestone, with 25,000 students registering for the competition.
Registration figures show that 11,570 boys and 13,430 girls have signed up, reflecting strong participation across the region.
State-by-state registration figures indicate that Imo State leads with 7,819 participants, followed by Enugu with 5,813.
Abia follows closely with 5,178, with Ebonyi trailing with 4,438.
Anambra is last on the list with 1,752 students.
Describing the initiative as one of the largest academic competitions on the African continent, Onyia said the significance extends beyond the number of participants.
He noted that thousands of students voluntarily choosing to challenge themselves in mathematics, critical thinking and problem-solving demonstrates the region’s growing investment in human capital development.
According to him, sustained efforts to identify, train and support talented students over the next decade could help produce one of Africa’s most skilled future workforces.
He emphasized that today’s mathematics olympiad participants could become tomorrow’s engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, scientists and innovators.
He described the competition as a long-term workforce development project with implications for the future of Africa.
