Kigali: Ridwan Mahmoud Jajah and Ummu Sulaim Abass of Al-Hikmah Islamic Montessori School have finished first and third, respectively, at the second edition of the African Shenmo Cup International Abacus Mental Maths Olympiad held at Kigali, Rwanda.  

The two from Ghana were among some 1000 participants from 30 African countries who competed in different categories of the competition. They were between the ages of six and 15.

Some participating countries included Kenya, Rwanda, Libya, Zambia, Mozambique, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Cameroon.

Shenmo Ghana Principal, Musa Frimpong, and Abacus Instructor, Joseph Gyebi, led the Ghana team at the event.

The team is expected to return to Ghana on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

The African Shenmo Mental Maths Olympiad is a prestigious continental mathematics competition that focuses on mental arithmetic for children and young learners.

The competition was a component of the global Shenmo Education system, which aims to foster numerical literacy, cognitive development, and international cultural exchange among young students.

China-based Shenmo Educational International Group organised the event, which was hosted by Shenmo Rwanda, on the theme “Empowering young minds, realising Africa’s dream”.

The inaugural edition of the competition was held in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, on October 14, 2023, where Ghana’s Nakeeyat Dramani Sam emerged as the overall champion.