Three Nigerian teenagers, Nafisa Abdullahi, Rukaiya Fema, and Khadija Kalli, have been awarded fully-funded scholarships by the Atiku Abubakar Foundation following their outstanding performance at the TeenEagle Global Finals, in London, UK.
The recipients, Nafisa Abdullahi, Ruƙayya Fema, and Khadija Kalli, were honoured through the Atiku Abubakar Foundation (AAF), for what the organisation described as an “inspiring display of excellence and intellect on the global stage”.
The announcement was conveyed in a letter dated August 5, 2025, and signed by the Acting Secretary of the Foundation, Professor Ahmadu Shehu. The letter praised the girls’ achievements and confirmed that the scholarship would cover the rest of their secondary school education as well as university studies, at any institution of their choice.
Seventeen-year-old Nafisa Abdullahi stood out at the competition for her mastery of the English language, critical reasoning skills and public speaking, outperforming contenders from across six continents.
Atiku had, in a statement on Wednesday, congratulated her for emerging as the world’s best in English, describing her as a shining example of Nigeria’s untapped intellectual wealth.
The AAF letter commended the girls for making the country proud. The Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to promoting access to quality education, especially for girls and other underserved groups.
“As the platform that coordinates the philanthropic activities of H.E. Atiku Abubakar, GCON, renowned for his commitment to quality education in Nigeria, the Foundation reaffirms its dedication to supporting education, particularly for girls and other vulnerable groups”, it added.
Earlier, Governor Mai Mala Buni, of Yobe State, approved a special ceremony to celebrate the teenagers. The Governor said their excellent performance is a big honour to both the state and the country. “These are great feats that make us proud and justify the government’s investment in the education sector”, he said.
In a statement issued by the Director General of Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, Mamman Mohammed, Buni also announced a scholarship programme to cover full tuition for 890 students at Nigerian Tulip International College, in honour of the teenagers.
He said his Government will keep supporting education so that every child in the state has the chance to go to school, and he called on parents to work with the government. “The Government has rebuilt schools destroyed by the long insurgency, provided furniture, books, lab equipment, and hired more qualified teachers to improve the quality of education in the state — and we are still working on it”, he added.
