African Olympiad Academy Emerges as a Driving Force Behind Africa's Strongest-Ever International Mathematical Olympiad Performance

African Olympiad Academy
The African Olympiad Academy (AOA) is Africa's first pan-African, Olympiad-focused residential STEM secondary school, dedicated to developing the continent's top math and science talent into world-class innovators and leaders.
24 July 2026
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African Olympiad Academy (Kigali)
press release

Kigali — Less than a year after opening, Africa's first Olympiad-focused STEM school is helping transform the continent's performance in elite mathematics

Less than one year after opening its doors, the African Olympiad Academy (AOA) has emerged as one of the driving forces behind Africa's strongest-ever performance at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), underscoring how strategic investment in young mathematical talent can help prepare the continent for the future of artificial intelligence, scientific research and advanced technology.

Founded to bring together Africa's most talented young mathematicians under one roof, AOA is the continent's first pan-African Olympiad-focused STEM secondary school.

At the 67th International Mathematical Olympiad in Shanghai, AOA students represented eight African countries, with 15 full-time students selected to compete for their national teams, more than any other secondary school has contributed to the competition in a single year, and more than double the previous record of six. Four additional students from AOA's Daraja bridge programme also competed, bringing AOA's total representation to 19 students.

African participation at the IMO has grown steadily for years, but 2026 marked a turning point. Sixteen African countries competed, more than ever before, and several recorded their best-ever team performances. AOA students and programme participants sat on a number of those national teams and secured five honourable mentions. Rwanda, AOA's host nation, along with Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, posted their highest-ever team scores.

Lightness Pigiliano Ngiliule, a Tanzanian student at the African Olympiad Academy (AOA), was named the top female mathematician from Africa, winning the prestigious Mirzakhani Award, the first Tanzanian ever to do so.

"The results from this year's International Mathematical Olympiad show what is possible when African talent is intentionally developed and connected across borders. Records like these do not belong to one school. They belong to the continent," said Gaidi Faraj, Co-founder and Head of School of the African Olympiad Academy. "What excites me most is what comes next for them, for this school, and for an Africa that will help shape the age of artificial intelligence and emerging technology."

Built on the belief that Africa's future competitiveness depends on identifying and developing exceptional mathematical talent early, AOA combines an internationally recognised academic curriculum with advanced Olympiad training, bringing together students from across Africa to learn, compete and live together.

AOA welcomed its inaugural class of 30 fully funded students in 2025, representing eight African countries with equal representation of male and female students. Within months, half of that class had earned places on their national IMO teams. In addition to its residential programme, AOA is strengthening mathematics competitiveness across Africa through its Rising Stars initiative, Olympiad camps, and national partnerships, reaching more than 100,000 students in its first year.

AOA's broader impact was also reflected at this year's Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO), where AOA students won a total of nineteen medals, and half of the participating countries were represented by AOA students, coaches, or programme alumni. This week, AOA will further strengthen its leadership in African STEM education by co-hosting the 2026 Pan-African Informatics Olympiad (PAIO) alongside the Rwanda Olympiad from 23 to 30 July in Kigali, Rwanda.

About the African Olympiad Academy
The African Olympiad Academy (AOA) is Africa's first pan-African, Olympiad-focused residential STEM secondary school, dedicated to developing the continent's top math and science talent into world-class innovators and leaders. Based in Kigali, Rwanda, AOA offers the Cambridge A-Level curriculum alongside intensive Olympiad training, complemented by mentorship and holistic student development.

For more information on AOA, please visit www.aoa.school. Follow AOA on LinkedIn.

Media Contacts:
Autumn Marie: autumn@kglfwd.com
Faridi Muhawenimana: faridi@kglfwd.com

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