Top math students to fly Tanzania’s flag globally

MOROGORO: The Mathematical Association of Tanzania (MAT/CHAHITA), in collaboration with the African Olympiad Academy (AOA), has selected 34 top-performing secondary school mathematics students to represent Tanzania at various international competitions later this year.

According to a joint statement issued by MAT/CHAHITA and AOA on March 2, 2026, the students were selected during the Rising Stars Camp held in Dodoma from March 28 to April 1, 2026.

The students will represent Tanzania at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Shanghai, China, this July; the Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, this June; and the East African Mathematics Olympiad (EAMO), which will be held virtually later this year.

The statement noted that the selection followed the conclusion of a five-day residential mathematics training camp jointly organised by MAT/CHAHITA and AOA.

Participants were drawn from a nationwide Camp Qualification Contest (CQC) held on February 28, 2026, involving 5,000 contestants who sat for the AOA Rising Stars Competition and the Tanzania Mathematics Olympiad (TAMO).

“The intensive camp programme covered advanced problem-solving in algebra, combinatorics, geometry, and number theory—the four pillars of international Olympiad competition—and culminated in selection tests to determine national team rosters,” the statement explained.

Students selected to represent Tanzania at the IMO in China and PAMO in Côte d’Ivoire include Angel Margaret Zalwango, Arqam Yassir Salim, Joyce Sulumo, Lightness Ngiliule, Nyandahu Leonard, and Sweetbert Nene.

In addition to national team selection, the camp also enabled AOA to identify and recruit exceptional talent for its residential programme in Kigali, Rwanda.

At the conclusion of the camp, AOA awarded full scholarships to the three top-performing students for three years of study in its Cambridge A-Level programme, which combines rigorous academic learning with Olympiad-level training in mathematics and science.

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The camp maintained a strong commitment to gender inclusion, with nearly half of all participants being female, reflecting MAT/CHAHITA and AOA’s commitment to promoting girls’ participation in competitive mathematics across the region.

Speaking on the development, MAT/CHAHITA Chairperson Said Sima said the camp demonstrated the potential of partnerships between Tanzanian institutions and pan-African organisations in nurturing young mathematicians.

“The talent in this country is deep—what we must do is build the structures to develop it,” he said.

The founding Head of School at AOA, Gaidi Faraj, noted that the level of mathematical talent observed during the camp was remarkable, with students not only competing but preparing to represent their country and the continent on the global stage.

One of the participants, Ashley Nyabara, commended the initiative, saying: “This camp has been really good, if not the best. I would like more students to continue pursuing mathematics and their dreams.”

The Rising Stars Camp is part of a broader collaboration between MAT/CHAHITA and AOA aimed at strengthening the pipeline for mathematical talent development in East Africa. Tanzania’s selected teams will now undergo intensive preparations ahead of the international competitions.

The African Olympiad Academy is a full-scholarship residential high school based in Kigali, Rwanda, focused on nurturing mathematical and scientific talent across Africa. It offers the Cambridge A-Level curriculum alongside intensive Olympiad training.

MAT/CHAHITA (Chama cha Hisabati Tanzania), established in 1966, is the national body responsible for promoting mathematics education, research, and competitions in Tanzania, including coordinating the country’s participation in regional and international Olympiads.