Students from Imo and Enugu states emerged top performers at the grand finale of the South East Maths Olympiad, a regional competition that drew more than 11,500 participants from across the South-East.

The competition, which featured finalists from Anambra State, Enugu State, Imo State, Abia State, and Ebonyi State, concluded with standout performances across the primary, junior and senior categories.

In the primary category, Egejurum Onyedikachi from Diamond Special College Owerri emerged winner after scoring 13 points out of a possible 15.

He narrowly defeated Onah Tobit, who represented Anambra State and finished just one point behind. Contestants from Enugu State also shared the second position in the highly competitive category.

The junior category produced an exceptional performance from Onwubiko Chimdiebube of Evergreen Schools Enugu, who achieved a perfect score in the final round.

Chimdiebube won the top prize of N3 million, while his teacher also received a N1 million award in recognition of the student’s achievement. Notably, students from Evergreen Schools dominated the junior category, taking the first, second and third positions under the guidance of mathematics teacher Chisom Unachukwu.

In the senior category, Don-Anele Marvelous Munachimso, also from Diamond Special College Owerri, emerged champion, earning a cash prize of N5 million and an additional N1 million award for his teacher.

Munachimso’s victory adds to his growing list of academic achievements, having recently secured a $100,000 scholarship in Canada.

Organiser of the competition, Alex Onyia, said the olympiad was designed to identify and nurture young mathematical talents across the region.

He emphasised the importance of strengthening mathematics education as Africa prepares a workforce capable of competing in a technology-driven global economy.

The competition, which began with elimination rounds involving more than 11,500 students, culminated in the grand finale that crowned the region’s top mathematics talents.

Master Chisom Unachukwu, the maths teacher from Evergreen schools Enugu, whose students took 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions for Junior Category

However, discussions around the results also highlighted the absence of government schools among the top performers, raising concerns among education stakeholders about disparities in learning resources.

Despite the concern, the organisers and participants celebrated the achievements of the winners, with Onyia describing the competition as a platform for discovering future innovators and problem-solvers.

“With over 11,500 students participating and the best emerging at the end, the future of mathematics and innovation in the South-East looks promising,” he said.