Technology vs. Literacy: Nigerian Spelling Bee Champions Proper English Amid Digital Shorthand Crisis
The 8th edition of the Nigerian Spelling Bee kicked off in Abuja on Wednesday with organisers reaffirming the competition’s importance in strengthening children’s spelling skills, especially in a time when digital shorthand is increasingly eroding writing standards among young people.
At the finals, National Coordinator of the Nigerian Spelling Bee, Mr. Abdulsalam Ibrahim, raised concern over declining spelling abilities among students, attributing it to the growing use of abbreviations and informal language in digital communication.
“Today, we realise that many children, because of technology, cannot spell properly. They abbreviate words, and that was why we introduced this competition,” Ibrahim said.
He noted that the initiative, launched to promote literacy and academic excellence, has already produced over 20 standout winners who are now excelling in tertiary institutions.
“Even when they get to university, they are doing well. Most of our scholarship recipients, at least 90 to 95 per cent of them are in first class,” he added.
Aside from boosting academic performance, the competition also offers substantial scholarship awards to motivate participants. According to Ibrahim, the senior category champion walks away with a prize of one million naira, while the first and second runners-up receive N500,000 and N300,000 respectively. For the junior category, the winner gets N500,000, and the two runners-up each receive N300,000.
Despite the programme’s success and growing impact, Ibrahim lamented the absence of sponsorship support.
“We’re calling on the public, especially corporate organisations, to assist us. Since the federal government has endorsed the programme, we are hopeful they will take further steps and begin to fund it,” he appealed.
He also disclosed that although the Federal Ministry of Education has given its endorsement, there has been no financial backing from the ministry.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Spelling Bee has, over the years, created academic opportunities for young Nigerians and encouraged the mastery of English language usage.
This year’s edition coincides with Nigeria’s hosting of the 8th African Spelling Bee (ASB), scheduled to take place from April 9 to 13. It marks the first time the continental competition is being held in a West African country. Since its inception in 2016, the ASB has previously been hosted by South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi.
The Nigerian Spelling Bee, operating under the Bee Spelling Competition Initiative, is serving as the Local Organising Committee for this year’s ASB and continues to represent the country at international competitions after conducting nationwide spelling contests across Nigeria’s 36 states.
