The Scrabble event at the ongoing Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) 2025, hosted by the University of Jos, has recorded a slight drop in participation compared to the last edition held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in 2022.
Speaking with Nigeria Education News at the Scrabble venue, the coordinator for the game, Engineer Olobatoke Aka, disclosed that while about 263 participants competed in the last edition, this year’s tournament has about 230 cleared players, with only 188 currently present in Jos.
“Some of the players couldn’t make it due to financial constraints and academic commitments,” Aka explained. “Many universities are currently writing exams, so some cleared athletes couldn’t travel down for the competition.”
According to him, 26 universities are represented in the Scrabble event, which features four main categories: singles, doubles, team event, and the “best board” award. “We have male and female singles, male and female doubles, and the team event, where three players from one institution face three from another. The best board award recognizes the individual player with the most wins, even if their team doesn’t win overall,” he noted.
Aka described Scrabble as a game of “word power and strategy,” emphasizing that the doubles category particularly tests players’ ability to combine vocabulary strength with tactical play.
Highlighting the developmental role of university Scrabble, Aka said this year’s competition has attracted several young champions from the national under-15 and under-18 levels. “Some of the players here have represented Nigeria at the African and World Youth Championships. It’s exciting to see them now representing their universities, it shows the sport’s growth from youth to professional levels,” he said.
Reflecting on the last NUGA edition, the coordinator recalled that UNILAG and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) dominated the Scrabble event, with UNILAG’s Oluwatimilehin Doko emerging as one of the top players. “Doko is currently on his way to Ghana for the World Championship starting in a few days,” Aka revealed.
However, he predicted a shift in dominance this year. “UNILAG only has two players here, one male and one female which limits their medal prospects. So, I don’t see them dominating this time around. We expect another university to take the lead,” he added.
The Scrabble competition continues as part of the NUGA 2025 events, with medal contests expected to wrap up before the closing ceremony.
