Rivers State has won
the national finals of the 2013 Spellbound Africa Spelling Competition. The Rivers State representative, Olivia Okechukwu from the Community Secondary School, Egberu-Ndoki in Oyigbo Local Government Area, beat contestants from other 11 states to win the trophy.
The Spellbound Africa Spelling Competition is  for children between 10-15 years old. The winner of the competition, Olivia Okechukwu said winning the competition was a dream come true. Olivia Okechukwu stated that the victory would spur her up to achieve greater things in life. She also expressed gratitude to God for giving her the victory.
Spellbound Africa is a competition designed to challenge children studying in Africa, to learn new words and recognise them by sound, definition and etymology in an informal environment.
In this competition, children between 10 and 15 years old show their ability to spell English words randomly selected from a prior-circulated wordlist .The objective is to help each participating child learn and use at least 1000 new words each year, thereby developing effective communicators who will do their country and Africa proud in future.
The facilitator of the programme Ifeanyi Ogbu, said the competition was for children studying in  the English speaking African countries remarking that the children were given six months to study the manual before the competition.
He noted that teachers would compete in the competition next year. Ifeanyi Ogbu also commended the Rivers State Government for his commitment and passion for Education especially  in the provision of adequate infrastructure for learning in the state.
Also speaking,  a teacher at the Community Secondary School, Egberu-Ndoki, Mrs Umerah Peace praised her student, Olivia Okechukwu for winning the competition. She attributed Olivia Okechukwu’s success to her hardwork and dedication in studying the manual throughout the long vacation.
The final of the 2013 Spellbound Africa National Competition took place at the Ambassador Nne Furo Kurubo Model Secondary School, Eleme.
In February 2012, the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi promised a well organised spelling competition as had never been seen in the state in a move to encourage healthy reading habits in the children.
The Commissioner for Education stated that the State Government has invested so much in the sector to enable the pupils and students to have a bright and fulfilled future.
“We have invested in quality education to provide you with life skills that will enable you prosper later in life. Skills that enable you lead a healthy quality existence, grow into a resourceful and socially active adult and make cultural, political, scientific and economic contributions to your communities and the Nation” she stated.
Other winners at the competition  are Ayegbusi Olaoluwa from Lagos State and Chukwu Victory from Oyo State.