An alumnus of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Victor Ayebameru, has emerged champion of the sixth International Quant Championship, beating thousands of participants from universities across four continents.
Ayebameru, a graduate of Economics, secured Nigeria’s sole ticket to the global contest after winning the national finals before going on to claim the top prize at the international competition held in Singapore between October 6 and 7, 2026.
He finished ahead of Ziming Xu of Fudan University, China, who came second, and Chang Yen Tsai of National Taiwan University, Taiwan, who placed third.
At the global finals, Ayebameru competed individually against finalists representing universities from different parts of the world. His performance saw him overcome the challenge of teams from leading institutions during a live competition focused on developing mathematical models for financial market predictions.
The championship attracted 156,000 participants in 2026, according to its organiser, WorldQuant, a global quantitative asset management firm. The figure represents a sharp increase from 38,000 participants in 2024 and 80,000 in 2025.
The contest was conducted through WorldQuant BRAIN, a web-based platform that allows participants to develop and test quantitative investment strategies. Finalists were assessed on the originality, quality and diversification of their models, known as “alphas”, which are designed to predict movements in the prices of financial instruments.
Quantitative analysis, commonly known as “quant”, combines mathematics, statistics and computer programming to study financial markets, develop investment models, assess risks and support financial decisions.
Ayebameru’s achievement has been described as a significant boost for African talent in technology and quantitative finance, demonstrating the opportunities available to skilled individuals competing on international platforms.
WorldQuant said the championship forms part of its efforts to widen access to quantitative research and identify promising talent worldwide. Participants from disciplines including economics, mathematics, engineering and computer science took part in the competition, which offered a share of a $100,000 prize pool.
