Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has increased the total prize money for the Diri National Scrabble Classic from N20 million to N40 million, with the winner of the Masters category set to receive N5 million from the next edition.
The governor made the announcement on Sunday during the closing ceremony of the sixth edition of the tournament in Yenagoa.
He also directed the Commissioners for Sports and Education to work out modalities for introducing scrabble into secondary schools across the state, describing it as a game that sharpens the intellect and develops strategic thinking among students.
Diri said his early involvement in scrabble helped improve his vocabulary, spelling and analytical abilities, stressing that the game combines sports with education.
“Scrabble is a game I started playing as a youth and it helped my vocabulary and spelling ability. It is a mind game that I will personally recommend for our secondary schools because it is not just a sport but also education,” he said.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting the game until the end of his tenure, adding that the next edition of the championship would feature the increased prize money.
Responding to requests by President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engr. Bright Idahosa, Diri pledged to facilitate the inclusion of scrabble as one of the demonstration sports at the 2028 National Sports Festival, which Bayelsa will host.
He also promised support for Nigerian players travelling to Kenya for the World Youth Scrabble Championship.
According to him, Bayelsa’s continued investment in sports is aimed at harnessing the talents of young people and engaging them positively.
NSF President Bright Idahosa commended Governor Diri for his sustained support for scrabble, noting that Nigeria has remained one of the world’s leading scrabble-playing nations since winning the world championship in 2015.
The Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Daniel Igali, described scrabble as an important mind sport deserving of greater support, while expressing confidence that Bayelsa would successfully host the 2028 National Sports Festival.
He disclosed that construction of the state’s 30,000-capacity and 15,000-capacity stadiums was progressing on schedule.
Chairman of the Bayelsa State Scrabble Association, Daniel Alabrah, said the 2026 edition recorded over 300 participants, the highest in the history of scrabble tournaments in Nigeria, and also offered the largest prize purse so far.
He added that the tournament featured innovations such as online registration, digital score recording and live streaming, and expressed optimism that the next edition would attain international status following participation by players from Ghana this year.
In the competition, Abdulmimin Jimoh won the Masters category and received N2 million and a trophy. Felix Igolukumo claimed the Intermediate title with N1.2 million, while Godwin Angoye emerged champion of the Opens category, winning N700,000.
Veteran player Oladokun Esan retained the Veterans title for the third consecutive time, earning N900,000, while Godwin Joseph won the Students category with a prize of N150,000.
Governor Diri also presented special gifts of N1 million each to seven-year-old Abdulsalam Yusuf of Kwara State and nine-year-old Bayelsa-born Elizabeth Fun-ere in recognition of their participation.
The event concluded with an exhibition match between Governor Diri and NSF President Bright Idahosa, with the governor emerging victorious.
