Nigeria has reaffirmed its dominance in African Scrabble after Abdulmumin Jimoh emerged individual champion at the 16th African Scrabble Championship in Monrovia, Liberia, leading an all-Nigerian podium as the country clinched the Best Country award ahead of Kenya and hosts Liberia.

Jimoh secured the continental crown with 23 victories and a cumulative spread of 1,760 points, finishing ahead of reigning Nigerian national champion George Ezinore, who also recorded 23 wins but settled for second place with a spread of 1,005 points. Emmanuel Umujose completed Nigeria’s impressive sweep by finishing third in the individual standings.

The new champion demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the four day competition, recovering from 12th position after the opening day to third on day two before dropping to sixth on day three. His decisive victory over Larry Etuwa in round 31 strengthened his title bid, and despite losing his final game to Ezinore, Jimoh’s superior spread proved enough to secure the championship.

Jimoh’s triumph continues Nigeria’s rich tradition in African Scrabble and sees him succeed clubmate Oluwatimilehin Doko, who won the title in Kigali two years ago. 

Doko, however, endured a difficult outing in Monrovia after falling ill during the competition, while Nigeria’s overall performance underlined the country’s strength in the continental game.

President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Engineer Bright Idahosa, praised the players for their determination and commended the National Sports Commission for supporting the team. 

“I commend our players and the Federation in general for the determination shown throughout this tourney and for flying Nigeria’s flag high on the continental stage. This achievement reflects the talent, commitment and competitive spirit within Nigerian Scrabble,” Idahosa said.

He also appreciated NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade for their support, noting that Olopade consistently called to monitor the team’s results, assess its progress and discuss the way forward. 

In the women’s category, Ghana’s Betty Kyeremateng emerged Best Female Player with 20 wins from 32 games, while Nigeria’s Sophia Ekeruche finished second with 18 victories, adding another notable performance to Nigeria’s impressive campaign in Liberia.