Shining Lord’s College Lagos Wins Africa’s Top Spot at UK Young Coders Competition, Clinches 3rd Place Globally

By DAYO ADESULU

Nigeria’s growing reputation in global technology circles received a major boost as Shining Lord’s College UK Young Coders Competition success story unfolded on the international stage.

A 15-year-old Nigerian student, Ezugwu Ifunanya Joy, has secured third place worldwide at the prestigious , emerging as the highest-ranked participant from Africa.

The Enugu State-born student, who attends Shining Lord’s College in Lagos, not only placed third globally but also finished first in Nigeria and across Africa. Her project stood out as the only African entry to reach the final stage of the global coding contest.

That achievement now places Shining Lord’s College firmly on the international map of technology-driven secondary education.

How “Save It Up” Earned Global Recognition

Ifunanya’s award-winning game, Save It Up, was developed under the 2025 competition theme, “Budgeting Better.” Participants were required to design an engaging game that teaches children how to manage money wisely.

Rather than build a basic educational app, she created an interactive experience that blends entertainment with practical financial lessons.

In Save It Up, players must accumulate a target number of coins to unlock new levels. However, they regularly face spending temptations, including buying songs from an in-game shop. Each purchase reduces their savings and may delay their progress.

At the final stage, players who meet their savings target gain access to a virtual concert. Through this creative structure, the game teaches:

• Smart spending habits
• Budget planning
• Delayed gratification
• The importance of saving

International judges praised the project’s creativity, clarity of concept, and its practical approach to financial literacy for children.

Reflecting on the milestone, Ifunanya expressed excitement that months of diligence and determination paid off on a global stage.

A Promise That Became Reality

Interestingly, this global win fulfilled a bold promise made a year earlier.

During a 2024 graduation ceremony, the school’s coding facilitator reportedly assured parents that Shining Lord’s College would soon secure victory at an international competition. One year later, that declaration materialized.

The 2025 edition of the UK Young Coders contest took place online, with schools submitting projects through secure profile accounts using unique access codes.

Two Students Represented the School

Only two students represented Shining Lord’s College at the competition: Ifunanya and her co-coder, Fowowe Wisdom Victor.

At the time of the contest:

• Ifunanya was 15 years old and in SS1
• Wisdom was 14 years old and in JSS2

Despite their young ages, both students competed against participants from several countries. Their performance demonstrated that Nigerian secondary school students can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global peers when given the right exposure.

How Coding Education Is Paying Off

Shining Lord’s Schools, which has operated for about three decades, introduced coding as a formal subject in 2023. That decision is already producing measurable results.

The school’s investment in digital education provided the foundation for the Shining Lord’s College UK Young Coders Competition breakthrough. Structured lessons helped students move from curiosity to competence, while mentorship turned passion into performance.

For Ifunanya, coding began as an interest long before it entered the curriculum. However, classroom instruction gave her clarity, direction, and technical grounding.

The Mentor Who Made the Difference

Central to her journey is her coding facilitator, Mr. John Patrick Okon.

According to Ifunanya, he served not only as a teacher but also as a mentor who shaped her discipline and resilience. Even while recovering from leg surgery close to the competition deadline, he continued to guide the students virtually. He helped debug complex code issues and ensured the team stayed focused.

When distractions threatened productivity, the school principal, Mr. Ngozi Okoh, reportedly provided a dedicated workspace so the students could concentrate fully.

That combination of mentorship and institutional backing proved decisive.

Overcoming Technical Setbacks

The path to global recognition was not without challenges.

At one point, persistent debugging errors slowed progress. When online tutorials and independent troubleshooting failed to resolve the issue, Ifunanya collaborated closely with her facilitator until they fixed the bugs.

Another dramatic setback occurred when her laptop screen suddenly went blank while she was finalizing the project. With submission time running out, she quickly switched to a teacher’s laptop and completed the upload successfully.

Those moments, she said, strengthened her patience and sharpened her problem-solving ability.

Advice to Nigerian Youth

Following her success at the UK Young Coders competition, Ifunanya has a message for aspiring Nigerian programmers.

She urged young people not to feel intimidated by the global tech landscape or assume there is no space for them.

According to her, consistency, resilience, and belief in one’s ideas remain essential ingredients for success. She emphasized that challenges are inevitable but should never define one’s limits.

Looking Ahead

Ifunanya now dreams of becoming a software engineer. She hopes to design innovative applications, games, and digital tools that solve real-world problems while making learning more engaging.

Her story highlights more than personal triumph. It underscores the expanding influence of African innovation in global technology conversations.

As Nigeria continues to strengthen its digital footprint, the Shining Lord’s College UK Young Coders Competition victory signals what is possible when early exposure, mentorship, and determination converge.

From a classroom in Lagos to global recognition, this achievement reflects the rise of young African tech talents ready to compete and win on the world stage.

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