Nigerian Scrabble prodigy hits Doko, others, hit world record in 200 ranking

Posted : 06 January 2025

Nigeria is the undisputed world number one in Scrabble, based on the latest World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) ratings, made public on the 1st of this month.

In the published ratings, Nigeria leads the pack with 29 players in the top 200 of the World English Scrabble Players Association automated ranking system, two players more than the United States of America, which has 27.

Thailand occupies the third position with 22 players, ahead of England with 18 players in the top 200, while Singapore and Australia have 13 players each.

New Zealand’s Nigel Richards, with 2214 rating points, leads the chart, which includes David Eldar of Australia, Singapore’s Hubert Wee, the United States’ Alec Sjoholm, and Panupol Sujjayakorn of Thailand.

Nigel Richards has played a total of 4213 games during the period under review.

Current African Scrabble ‘King,’ Oluwatimilehin Doko, with 2030 rating points, leads four other Nigerians—former World Champion Wellington Jighere, immediate past African Champion Enoch Nwali, former NSF Green Jacket holder Eta Karo, and current ‘King of the Jungle’ Tega Okiemute—in the top 50 bracket.

It is imperative to note that African Champion Oluwatimilehin Doko, who is a contender in the maiden edition of the Ultimate Scrabble Showdown, has only played 296 games during the rating period.

These are the top five Nigerians and their ratings:
- **16. Oluwatimilehin Doko**
2030 points
296 games played

- **28. Wellington Jighere**
2003 points
1447 games played

- **37. Enoch Nwali**
1982 points
766 games played

- **40. Eta Paul Karo**
1981 points
1255 games played

- **49. Tega Okiemute**
1962 points
434 games played

Despite the huge success of Nigerian Scrabble players on the global stage and the honor, glory, and positive attention they have brought to the country, the Federal Government, through the former Sports Ministry, has turned a blind eye to most of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation’s (NSF) requests for financial support.

Meanwhile, one of the leading promoters of the mind game globally, Mind Games Incorporated (MGI), has unveiled a brand-new competition with a unique concept for the Nigeria Scrabble Circuit: the Bubbles Invitational Scrabble Tournament.

Lukeman Owolabi of MGI, in a statement released during the week, said the tournament aims to encourage players to strive for excellence.

“We are pleased to introduce the BUBBLES INVITATIONAL SCRABBLE TOURNAMENT (BIST), which will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the Golfview Hotel & Suites, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.”

Nigerian Scrabble prodigy hits Doko, others, hit world record in 200 ranking

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