Meet Egejurum Onyedikachi, winner of 2026 Southeast primary school Maths Olympiad

At a time when many children are just discovering their love for numbers, Egejurum Onyedikachi, a pupil of Diamond Special College, Owerri, the capital of Imo State, is already making his mark.

The young prodigy recently won the 2026 Southeast Primary School Maths Olympiad, scoring 13 out of 15 in the grand finale, impressing judges with his sharp reasoning and outstanding mathematical skill.

Egejurum, a brilliant little boy, emerged as the overall best student in his category after defeating over 11,500 other participating students. He was declared the winner of the maiden edition of the competition in the Southeast for the primary category on Saturday, March 7, clinching the N2 million prize money.

Stakeholders believe that the competition initiated by Alex Onyia, the chief executive officer at Educare, and a renowned education advocate, through his Intervention for South East Education (ISEE) initiative, highlights intense regional efforts to nurture STEM talent in Nigeria’s Southeast. Hence, they say, “The future of STEM in Nigeria is looking very bright with minds such as Egejurum leading the way.”

Speaking to the media on Saturday, Egejurum credits his success to dedicated teachers who drilled him until midnight and his own shift to enjoying mathematics from basic four, underscoring how early passion and rigorous preparation can elevate underdogs in competitive academics.

His victory attracted several attentions, signifying regional pride amid Nigeria’s education challenges, and highlighting the school’s dual wins and contrasting southeast’s academic focus against national divides in youth development.

The South East Maths Olympiad 2026 was the inaugural edition of a major regional mathematics competition organised for students in the Southeast geopolitical zone, which comprises of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states.

The goal is to promote mathematical excellence, critical thinking, and STEM skills among young students, with plans to make it an annual event and potentially increase prize money significantly in future editions.

The competition featured various categories, such as Primary school, Junior Secondary (JSS), and Senior Secondary (SS1–SS3); and the competition format involves fully computer-based testing (CBT), no calculators allowed, emphasising pure problem-solving and logic.

The competition had over 11,500 participants from across the five states, making it one of the largest academic contests in the region.
The prizes range from N2 to N5 million for top winners in each category. The winner in the primary category goes home with N2 million, while the winner in junior secondary received N3 million, and the winner in the senior secondary category went home with N5 million.

According to the organisers, there are additional rewards for outstanding teachers, from N1–2 million bonuses; one teacher from the winning school reportedly earned N2 million, with students from the same school collectively winning N8 million across categories.

The competition sparked massive interest, with reports of students advancing far ahead in their school syllabus due to preparation. Imo State performed strongly overall, with multiple top wins and the highest points tally.

Besides, it highlighted growing efforts to invest in education and talent development in the Southeast amid broader national challenges.