Sterling Bank has committed ₦60 million in prizes for the 2027 South East Mathematics & Science Olympiad, in a major boost for STEM education in Nigeria's South East region.
The commitment, earmarked strictly for prizes, was announced by education advocate and convener of the Olympiad, Alex Onyia, who said the initiative is aimed at rewarding academic excellence and inspiring a new generation of scientists, mathematicians and innovators.
According to Onyia, Sterling Bank's intervention comes as interest in the competition reaches unprecedented levels.
The South East Maths Olympiad has already made history as Africa's largest academic competition by application volume, drawing 22,070 entries for the 2027 edition — comprising 11,908 girls and 10,162 boys across the five South Eastern states. Latest updates from the organizers put total registration at 35,705 students, with 19,136 girls and 16,569 boys registered.
The competition, organised through the ISEE platform founded by Onyia, is free for students and is designed to discover and nurture young talents in Mathematics and Science.
Sterling Bank's ₦60 million pledge has now been complemented by an additional ₦40 million commitment from Terra Industries CEO, Nathan Nwachuku, bringing total prize backing for the 2027 edition to ₦100 million.
Onyia, who is also CEO of Educare, said the Olympiad is projecting up to 100,000 participants for 2027 and will maintain full transparency in its selection and prize disbursement process.
The South East Mathematics Olympiad has grown rapidly since its inception. The 2026 edition attracted 11,522 participants, from which three exceptional students — Onwubiko Chimduebube Victor (13), Egejurum Onyedikachi Ethan (11), and Don Anele Munachimso Marvellous (17) — were selected to represent Nigeria at the International STEM Olympiad Grand Finale in Rome, where they won gold medals against competitors from over 50 countries.
The Sterling Bank commitment aligns with the bank's broader education intervention strategy. The bank recently launched its "Beyond Education" initiative, committing over ₦2 billion in fully-funded private university scholarships for 600 young Nigerians in partnership with Miva Open University.
For the 2027 South East Olympiad, organizers say the ₦60 million prize pool will be distributed across various categories for primary and secondary school students, with details on prize structure and award ceremony to be announced in the coming months.
Sterling Bank is expected to formally unveil its partnership package for the Olympiad alongside other stakeholders in the coming weeks.