Spell IT Nigeria, an affiliate of Scripps Spelling Bee in the United States of America, was unveiled in Lagos on Friday August 30th, at the Civic Centre, Lagos Island.

The unveiling made Nigeria an official member of the Global Scripps Spelling Bee in the US, which gives Nigerian children an opportunity to compete in Spelling Bee competitions among other children all over the world.

Speaking during the unveiling, the Country Director of Scripps Spelling Bee Nigeria, Eugenia Tachie-Mensah stated that it’s an honour to be part of the historic moment in the nation’s education journey as the nation officially joined the global family of educative platform.

She expressed satisfaction with the development, adding that Nigeria joined the Scripps National Spelling Bee, when the organisation is celebrating its 100 years of existence.

“The story of how we arrived here is one of vision, perseverance, and a deep seated belief in the power of education,” Tachie-Menson noted.

Speaking further about Scripps Spelling Bee, she said that it’s not just about competition for the young ones, but that it’s an opportunity to provide a comprehensive learning experience that equips students with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of languages and communication in a globalised world.

Spell IT Nigeria also afford children from age 8-13 skills such as critical thinking, public speaking and team work.

The Country Director of the project seized the opportunity to thank the sponsors adding, “without them no venture of this magnitude would succeed.”

She equally called on their partners to work with them to create a brighter future for the children.

“Joining the global Scripps Spelling Bee platform gives Nigerian children an opportunity to shine and this will give them more exposure and afford us the privilege to contribute to the children’s development.

“Joining the organisation also means that Nigeria and Ghana would continue their rivalry because Ghana had been part of the system long before Nigeria joined,” she said.

Also speaking during the unveiling, the team lead and co-founder of Lucid Education Initiative, Afolajimi Akinyoyenu said; “our Initiative promotes culture and music. We are honoured to be part of this milestone achievement of Spell IT Nigeria, an affiliate of Scripps Spelling Bee in the United States of America.

“We express our heartfelt congratulations to the Young Educators Foundation for this remarkable achievement. Our partnership with the Young Educators Foundation is a testament for our shared commitment to enhancing literacy among our young people.”

Akinyoyenu noted that at Lucid, their main focus is to educate young minds on literacy and culture.

“Your signatory between Lucid and why we are all here has always been rooted on common goal to prosper in love and equip students with the skills they need to excel.

“Music and culture are intertwined in the fabric of society, much like spelling which preserves the accuracy of cultural expression. The synergy between these elements fosters a deeper understanding of our identity, enriching both intellectual and cultural discourse,” he said.

The representative of Scripps Spelling Bee in Nigeria, Adesua Onyenokwe, said, “i’s not about how you sound the word, it’s an understanding of where the word comes from.

Onyenokwe, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of TW magazine, added that they look forward to learning a few things and hope that a Nigerian would get to the finals of the competition and win the competition in the next five years.

According to her, “young children are learning to persevere. It’s not about fun, it’s beyond child’s play, those children are developing learning habits that would make them excel in whatever they choose to do.”

The event was rounded off with the unveiling of the logo of Spell IT Nigeria.