The Federal Ministry of Education has denied knowledge of any sponsorship request from Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, for 15-year-old Agbo Adoga, a student who achieved a perfect SAT score and qualified to represent Nigeria at the International Mathematics Olympiad in China.
This denial came amid widespread reports and public concern that the government had refused to sponsor the young prodigy due to insufficient funds.
Education advocate Alex Onyia had raised the alarm that the Ministry told the school it lacked the funds to sponsor any participant for the competition, effectively barring Adoga from attending. Onyia emphasized that individual or private sponsorship was disallowed since Agbo would officially represent Nigeria at the event, and although the family expressed willingness to fund his trip, ministry regulations prohibited them from doing so.
In a statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry, the government stated that there is no record or correspondence regarding any sponsorship request for the student from a recognized body. The ministry urged the public to disregard unverified reports and to channel any valid sponsorship requests through official communication channels.
The controversy has sparked outrage across social media, with many Nigerians lamenting what they describe as a lost opportunity for the country to showcase its young talent on the global stage. Critics have called for increased government and private sector support for outstanding students who bring international recognition to Nigeria.
Therefore, Adoga’s academic excellence places him among a rare elite, having scored a perfect 1600 on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), a feat achieved by a very small percentage of students worldwide.
Despite his accomplishments, bureaucratic hurdles now cloud his participation in the upcoming Olympiad, raising concerns about systemic support for gifted youths in Nigeria.
The Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to supporting deserving students through transparent and due processes but challenged Graceland International School to provide evidence of any formal request for sponsorship.
