The Accra International Conference Centre was a sight to behold last Saturday as parents, teachers, head teachers, family, and friends as well as students from numerous schools across the country gathered to witness the finals of the competition.

After seven (7) seven grueling rounds of spelling, twelve (12) year old Lily Tugbah of the Solidarity International School in Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region emerged winner of the 2017 edition of the National Spelling Bee Championship

She receives an all-expense paid trip to the United States to represent Ghana at the 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee, a GHC10,000 scholarship from Indomie, GHC 10,000 Ecobank Junior Savers account, a trophy, Merriam Webster dictionary and a DStv decoder with free subscription

Gabriella Ellis, a twelve (12) year student of the Delhi Public School International was the first runner up and thirteen (13) year old Ewoenam Afetsi of the SOS Hermann Gmeiner was the second runner-up on the night. They will both be traveling to the MultiChoice head office in Johannesburg, South Africa and also receive other prizes from sponsors as part of their prize package.

Present at the national finals were the Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the United States of America Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson, former Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Dzifa Abla Gomashie, last year's Spelling Bee national winner, Efua Ansah Efua Ansah as well as the General Manager for De United Foods Industries Limited, Mahesh Shah.

The National Spelling Bee competition is the brainchild of Young Educators Foundation (YEF), an international NGO that aims at improving the literal life of Ghanaian youth. The event was sponsored by MultiChoice Ghana, South Africa Airways, Ecobank, and Indomine.