The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed
reports claiming it declined to sponsor a 15-year-old Nigerian student, Agbo
Adoga, to represent the country at the International Mathematics
Olympiad in China.
In a statement released on its official X handle
on Monday, the Ministry described the circulating reports as “unverified and
misleading,” clarifying that it had no record of any sponsorship request
concerning the student.
“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
statement read.
“The Ministry affirms that there is no record or
correspondence in its files indicating any such request for sponsorship from
any recognised body. Accordingly, any relevant or verifiable information
regarding this matter should be formally presented to the Ministry for
necessary action.”
The Ministry urged the public to disregard unverified
reports and rely only on official communication channels for
education-related matters. It also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting
outstanding students through proper and transparent procedures.
The clarification followed public criticism sparked by
Alex Onyia, Chief Executive Officer of Educare, who alleged on
social media that the Ministry refused to sponsor Adoga, a student of Graceland
International School, Port Harcourt, due to a lack of funds.
In his post, Onyia claimed:
“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!”
However, the Ministry’s response refuted the
allegation, maintaining that no official request had been made to it
regarding the student’s participation.
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