President of Lekki Scrabble Club Samuel Anikoh, has described reigning Lekki Scrabble Classics champion Abdulmumeen Jimoh as an inspiration to young players, praising his discipline, humility and relentless pursuit of improvement.
Anikoh said Jimoh’s dedication to becoming a better player every day has made him an example for aspiring young scrabble players, while highlighting the strong bond and healthy rivalry between Jimoh and fellow top players Enoch Nwali and Timilehin Doko.
According to him, the trio have consistently pushed one another to higher levels, describing their progress as “enviable” and suggesting that they could potentially dominate the world scrabble stage if they maintain their current trajectory.
“The current champ is an example to a lot of young players. He is a diligent, disciplined and humble person with laser focus on becoming a better player every day. Interestingly, he is part of the strong trio of musketeers, with Enoch Nwali and Timilehin Doko. The extraordinary way the trio have continued to push each other to be better is enviable, and I suspect they have the potential to dominate the world stage if they continue on the same trajectory.
At the 2025 classics, Jimoh had a dominant performance taking an early lead and sustaining it to emerge winner after 18 gruelling games.
The level of focus has also seen him continue to improve and win laurels, narrowly missing out on the African championship to his friend Timilehin Doko, but winning several scrabble events and the recent Gov. Duoye Diri competition in Bayelsa.”
With the 2026 Lekki Scrabble Classics scheduled for September 26-27 approaching, Anikoh expressed excitement about the expected quality of competition, saying Jimoh is expected to return to defend his title and extend his recent dominance. He, however, warned that several top players from Nigeria and around the world would be targeting the champion, particularly following the increase of the tournament’s top prize to $1,000.
Anikoh also disclosed that the Lekki Scrabble Club would introduce a children’s section at the 2026 Classics, building on its school scrabble programme and creating an opportunity for players under the age of 12 to experience competitive scrabble early.
He said Jimoh’s own development as an early starter demonstrates the benefits of introducing young players to the game early, adding that the new children’s section is part of the club’s broader commitment to developing the next generation of Nigerian scrabble champions.
