Ridwanuallah Olaniyi Crowned Champion at WorldLand Africa Inter-Schools Contest
Group picture
By Fatoumatta Jaiteh,
In celebration of the Day of the African Child—a day devoted to promoting children’s rights and education across the continent—young learners gathered for the 2025 WorldLand Africa Inter-Schools Competition, a vibrant showcase of literacy, youth empowerment, and academic excellence.
Emerging as champion was Ridwanuallah Olaniyi, a student of Almadina School, who triumphed in the spelling and word construction contest held on 14th June 2025, at the Babucarr O. Joof Conference Centre in Brikama.
Held under the theme “Fostering Reading Culture Towards Human Capital and Global Development”, this year’s edition highlighted the crucial connection between literacy and Africa’s sustainable future.
Ridwanuallah Olaniyi from Almadina School
Organised by the literacy advocacy group Take M, Transformative Organisation, WorldLand Africa is a continental competition designed to promote reading habits, vocabulary mastery, and cognitive development among school-aged children. Launched in 2025, the initiative aims to build a new generation of confident, articulate, and knowledgeable African youth.
This year’s event drew participation from schools across The Gambia and featured intense rounds of spelling, word formation, and vocabulary usage. After a competitive elimination process, five finalists rose to the top:
Ridwanuallah Olaniyi (Almadina School)
Mamadou Sowe (St. Joseph’s School, Banjul)
Isatou Cham (Longman Methodist)
Joshua Godwin (Anne Marie Rivier)
Mariama Jawara (Anne Marie Rivier)
Displaying calm focus and impressive linguistic skill, Ridwanuallah navigated the rounds with precision, eventually clinching the title.
“I feel very proud,” he told Askanwi after his win. “This is my first time winning a trophy. I prepared very hard—sometimes staying up until midnight to study.”
He also had words of encouragement for his fellow contestants:
“In every competition, there must be a winner. Don’t lose hope. There are many more chances ahead if you stay committed and determined.”
Sharing in the joy was his older brother, Waliyyallah Olaniyi, who said:
“This is my first time supporting my brother at a competition, and I’m amazed. Ridwanuallah has written our name in history.”
Mr Lamin Fatty of Yonna Islamic Microfinance
The event was supported by Yonna Islamic Microfinance, whose representative, Mr Modou Lamin Fatty (speaking on behalf of General Manager Mr Barrow), emphasised the importance of educational investment:
“Initiatives like these weren’t available in our time. Education is the only bet you can invest in and expect a yield.”
As part of the finale, organisers announced that all five finalists will receive special awards in the coming weeks in recognition of their exceptional performance and dedication.
WorldLand Africa continues to inspire and empower, transforming young minds and futures—one word at a time.
