MONROVIA — Liberia is poised to welcome the continent’s finest in scrabble as it hosts the 16th Africa Scrabble Championship, marking a historic milestone as the nation hosts the prestigious continental competition for the very first time.
By: Christopher C Walker 0777898224/0886723075 christopherc.walker@frontpageafricaonline.com
The four-day intellectual showdown is scheduled for October 22–25, 2026, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia.
It will convene approximately 120 elite players representing 24 African countries to vie for ultimate supremacy in the English-language word game.
The Government of Liberia, acting through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has joined forces with the National Scrabble Association of Liberia (NASAL) and the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) to stage what organizers have billed as one of the premier intellectual sporting events on the African calendar.
Often likened in prestige and fervor to football’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the championship unites national delegations and top-tier minds in pursuit of the continent’s ultimate championship crown.
Addressing the , Deputy Minister for Sports G. Andy Quamie expressed delight over Liberia’s successful bid, extending warm commendations to NASAL for securing the rights to host the tournament.
Minister Quamie issued a call to sports journalists and media institutions nationwide to give the championship robust coverage, underscoring the necessity of patriotic backing as the nation prepares to roll out the red carpet for continental delegates.
He emphasized that the tournament serves as a dual catalyst elevating domestic Scrabble awareness while displaying Liberia’s logistical capacity to host major international events.
Furthermore, Minister Quamie hinted that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is expected to grace the official opening ceremony, subject to his official schedule.
Other high-ranking state figures including Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, and members of the National Legislature are anticipated to lend legislative and executive weight to the opening festivities.
Liberia Targets Strong Performance on Home Soil
Beyond the administrative triumph of hosting, the host nation is fiercely determined to leave a competitive mark.
A contingent of 32 players has been selected to fly the Lone Star flag.
National Scrabble Association of Liberia President Lester Morris asserted that the national squad is mentally hardened, highly motivated, and has undergone rigorous training camps ahead of the tournament.
Morris voiced immense confidence in his players, declaring them fully prepared to lock horns with Africa’s heavyweights.
Morris also lauded Youth and Sports Minister Cornelia Kruah-Tamba for her proactive engagement with the association, describing the collaborative synergy as a monumental leap forward for the institutional growth of Scrabble in Liberia.
Among the notable selections is Benjamin Gologo Garkpah, a practicing sports journalist attached to the media department of Bettomax Liberia.
President Morris praised Garkpah as a pillar of the domestic circuit, noting his sharp analytical mindset and steady ascent in competitive rankings.
Garkpah’s inclusion highlights the intellectual breadth of Scrabble, a discipline that heavily rewards deep concentration, expansive vocabulary, rigorous strategy, and acute critical thinking across diverse professional backgrounds.
What Nigeria Sets the Standard
Liberia’s hopefuls will encounter a daunting continental field anchored by Nigeria, the undisputed powerhouse of African Scrabble history.
Since the championship’s inception in Kenya in 1994, Nigerian competitors have claimed 14 out of the 15 editions held.
South Africa’s Trevor Hovelmeier remains the solitary outsider to puncture that ironclad dominance, capturing the crown in 2002.
Nigeria’s Oluwatimilehin Doko triumphed at the most recent edition in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2024, cementing Nigeria’s status as the team to beat.
Other participating nations include Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, The Gambia, Uganda, and Mali, among others.
While the challenge is steep, Liberian players enter the arena battle-tested; the national team proudly secured a silver medal at the 2024 African Games in Accra, Ghana, finishing closely behind champions Uganda.
That stellar feat provides psychological momentum as the squad faces its next major continental crucible.
Government and Corporate Leadership Drive Funding
Mounting a tournament of this magnitude demands meticulous financial and logistical mobilization.
The championship’s total budget is projected at more than US 68,000,with the Government of Liberia acting through the Ministry of Youth and Sports shouldering approximatel US 40,000 to under write critical operational expenditures, notably player accommodation and associated overheads.
The Local Organizing Committee has also acknowledged critical financial and material backing from the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), the National Port Authority (NPA), and Tuzee en Afrique Tours.
Local Organizing Committee Chairman James Lynch Monbo Sr. expressed deep gratitude to the corporate partners, noting that their investments signal enduring confidence in Liberia’s youth potential and the advancement of intellectual athletics.
Chairman Monbo appealed to additional state entities, banking institutions, and private enterprises to step forward with financial sponsorships and logistical support to guarantee a flawless event.
He stressed that the championship transcends a routine four-year sporting fixture, functioning instead as a vehicle to forge lasting partnerships and cultivate grassroots development.
Moreover, Monbo pointed to the tangible economic spinoffs, projecting that an influx of players, technical staff, and international visitors will provide a vital revenue boost for local hotels, restaurants, transport networks, and hospitality ventures