Nigerian Student Wins Indonesian Speech Competition

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Mustapha Abolore Abdulwahab, a Nigerian student, won second place in the Indonesian speech competition at the 2026 Festival Handai Indonesia. The international program student at Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) delivered a speech in Indonesian on the theme “Equality in Education.”

Mustapha was among the international participants who demonstrated their Indonesian language skills at the festival, which brought together Indonesian language learners from various countries. His achievement highlights the growing interest in learning and using Indonesian among people from around the world.

The 2026 Festival Handai Indonesia (FHI), which attracted 542 registrants from 79 countries, was organized as a platform for international Indonesian language learners to develop their language skills while gaining a deeper understanding of Indonesian culture. In addition to the speech competition, FHI 2026 featured four other competitions: storytelling, singing, poetry recitation, and pantun.

According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the Festival Handai Indonesia is also part of efforts to strengthen Indonesian as a means of fostering friendship among nations. The Indonesian language is considered to have the potential to support diplomacy while introducing Indonesia to the global community.

Mustapha’s achievement is one example of how learning Indonesian can provide international students with opportunities to engage more closely with Indonesia. Through language skills, participants not only learn how to communicate but also gain opportunities to understand Indonesian culture and society.

The 2026 Festival Handai Indonesia brought together participants from various countries with an interest in the Indonesian language. Their participation demonstrates the growing appeal of Indonesian beyond Indonesia’s borders.

The Nigerian student’s achievement also highlights the role of Indonesian as a bridge for communication and friendship among nations. Through events such as the Festival Handai Indonesia, the language continues to become part of Indonesia’s broader engagement with the international community.