FG breaks silence on sponsorship snub for maths Olympiad student

The Federal Government has denied claims that it refused to sponsor a 15-year-old Nigerian student who reportedly qualified to represent the country at the International Mathematics Olympiad in China.

The Ministry of Education, in a statement signed on Sunday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Feo Folasade, said it had no record of any sponsorship request for the student in question, identified as Agbo Adoga.

The clarification follows public criticism by the Chief Executive Officer of Educare, Alex Onyia, who alleged on X that the Ministry turned down the student’s sponsorship due to lack of funds.

Onyia had claimed:

“Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, just informed me that Agbo Adoga qualified to represent Nigeria in the International Maths Olympiad in China.
The Ministry of Education said they don’t have money to sponsor anybody. So he will not attend. Nigeria lost again!”

But the Ministry dismissed the claim as false and unsubstantiated, insisting that no correspondence or sponsorship request had been received from any recognised institution or body regarding the competition.

It urged anyone with verifiable information about the alleged request to submit it formally for proper investigation.

“The Ministry affirms that there is no record or correspondence in its files indicating any such request for sponsorship from any recognised body,” the statement said.

The government also appealed to the public to disregard unverified reports, assuring that the Ministry remains committed to promoting academic excellence through due process and transparency.

“The Federal Ministry of Education remains committed to encouraging and supporting outstanding students through due process and transparent procedures,” the statement added.