The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that it has no official record or correspondence requesting sponsorship for the 15-year-old Nigerian student, Agbo Adoga, who was reportedly said to have qualified to represent Nigeria at the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) in China.
The Ministry’s response follows a public outcry sparked by Alex Onyia, Chief Executive Officer of Educare, who accused the Ministry of neglecting its duty by refusing to fund the student’s participation in the global competition. Onyia’s post, which went viral on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), alleged that the Ministry declined sponsorship on the grounds of insufficient funds.
Onyia had written: “Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, just informed me that Agbo Adoga qualified to represent Nigeria in the International Maths Olympiad in China. Nigerian Ministry of Education said they don’t have money to sponsor anybody. So he will not attend. Nigeria lost again!”
The viral post triggered widespread criticism, with many Nigerians expressing disappointment over what they perceived as the government’s failure to support young academic talents. Some education advocates described the alleged situation as “a national embarrassment” and called for reforms in how Nigeria supports gifted students.
However, the Ministry, in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Feo Folasade, refuted the claims, stating that it had no record of any sponsorship request or official communication related to the student or the event.
According to the statement, “The Federal Ministry of Education wishes to state clearly that it is not aware of the report circulating online regarding a supposed sponsorship request for a 15-year-old student said to have qualified to represent Nigeria at the International Mathematics Olympiad in China.”
The Ministry further clarified that “there is no record or correspondence in its files indicating any such request for sponsorship from any recognised body.” It emphasized that all formal requests must follow due administrative process and be routed through appropriate educational channels for consideration.
It also urged individuals or institutions with verifiable information regarding the matter to formally present it to the Ministry for investigation and appropriate action, rather than spreading unverified reports on social media.
“The public is hereby advised to disregard such reports until they are confirmed through the Ministry’s official communication channels,” the statement added.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to promoting excellence and supporting students who distinguish themselves in local and international academic competitions. It noted that Nigeria has a record of sponsoring talented students for such events when due process is followed.
“The Federal Ministry of Education remains committed to encouraging and supporting outstanding students through due process and transparent procedures,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, as the controversy continues, education stakeholders have called on both the Ministry and private organisations to improve coordination in supporting exceptional students to ensure Nigeria’s representation in international academic platforms remains strong and consistent.
