The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has criticized the Federal Ministry of Education over what it described as an “inadequate and insulting” cash reward of ₦200,000 presented to Miss Nafisah Abdullahi, the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals Champion held in London, United Kingdom.
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Miss Abdullahi, a Nigerian student from Yobe State, emerged victorious in the prestigious international competition, defeating over 20,000 participants from 69 countries, including native English-speaking nations.
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While acknowledging the Ministry’s recognition, NANS, under the leadership of Comrade Olushola Oladoja (GCNS), insisted that the amount presented on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, was a “slap on the face of Nigeria’s education system.”
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“Tokenism Undermines Education” — NANS
In a strongly worded statement signed by Comrade Oladimeji Uthman, Executive Director of Administration and Planning, NANS stressed that such token gestures discourage excellence in education.
“This gesture not only downplays the magnitude of her remarkable achievement but also sends a discouraging message to millions of Nigerian students striving for academic excellence,” the statement read.
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NANS argued that true compensation should serve as motivation to students, encouragement to parents, and inspiration to communities nationwide. Anything short of this, it warned, undermines the value of education.
The student body pointed to recent examples where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally awarded scholarships to outstanding students such as Adetutu Blessing Osoba and Sodiq Shoyode, describing these interventions as models of how the country should reward academic brilliance.
It urged the Ministry of Education to emulate such gestures by reviewing and upgrading Miss Nafisah’s reward package to match the global significance of her triumph.
Call to Yobe State Government
NANS also called on the Yobe State Government, under Governor Mai Mala Buni, to celebrate Miss Nafisah’s achievement in a befitting manner.
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“Her victory is not just a personal achievement but a pride to Yobe State, Nigeria, and Africa at large. She deserves to be celebrated with dignity and honour,” the statement added.
Education Deserves Equal Recognition as Sports
Reiterating its long-standing position, NANS maintained that education is the bedrock of national development and should be celebrated with the same enthusiasm as sports and entertainment.
“The treatment given to our champions should reflect the seriousness with which we regard education in Nigeria. Anything less is an embarrassment and an injustice to the sacrifices of students and teachers across the federation,” NANS concluded.
