President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated three Nigerian students, Nafisa Aminu Abdullah, Rukayya Fema, and Hadiza Kalli, for their outstanding performance at the 2025 TeenEagle Global competition in London, United Kingdom.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President described the trio as “exceptional young Nigerians” who have made the country proud by emerging world champions in English language communication skills and debate.
“Seventeen-year-old Nafisa was named the overall best in English language skills; 15-year-old Rukayya emerged as the overall best in debate, while Hadiza clinched the Outstanding Talent Award (gold medal),” the statement noted.
President Tinubu praised their brilliance and affirmed that “the nation’s future is much brighter with many of its youth as repositories of excellence”.
He further commended their institutions of learning, describing their achievements as a pointer to the potential of Nigeria’s education system to nurture some of the world’s brightest minds.
The President reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving access to education, citing the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a key initiative aimed at removing financial barriers for underprivileged Nigerians seeking higher education.
The President’s congratulatory message came after a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami, on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to reward Nafisa Aminu for her exceptional international feat.
Nafisa, a student of Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC) in Yobe State, outperformed over 20,000 participants from 69 countries, including native English-speaking nations, to win the overall best in English at the TeenEagle Global Finals.
Prof Pantami had, via a post on his official X handle, recommended that Nafisa be rewarded with $100,000, a three-bedroom flat, and a national honour similar to the package given to Nigeria’s victorious female football and basketball teams, the Super Falcons and D’Tigress.
He also called for a similar reward for her English teacher, emphasising the need to celebrate both talent and mentorship.
He attributed Nafisa’s success to her talent, dedication, discipline, and the strong support system from her family and school.
Prof Pantami also urged the government to invite Nafisa and her teacher to the presidency, insisting that educational achievements should receive the same national recognition as sporting accomplishments.
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It may be more appropriate to reward the hardworking of Nafisa with cash and kind too.
The essence is to encourage our children to emulate Nafisa academiicwise. It is not only about sport alone. A professor may not ẹarn up to 5000 dollar in a year. Họw dọ we encourage academics excellence them? If we must progress as a nation, champions of education should be rewarded too.
Regarding Nafisa would definitely encourage more youths to take their academics serious.
If Allah wishes they will recognise such excellent achievement rather than sporting and music in Nigeria I condemned not both but the low value to education is one of the obstacles to Nigeria education system.