…Urge National Honours
A wave of national pride swept across Nigeria yesterday following the historic achievement of two Yobe students from Yobe State, Nafisa Abdullahi Aminu and Ruqayya Fema, who emerged overall best in English Language and Debate at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals, held in London, United Kingdom.
The event, which featured over 20,000 participants from 69 countries, tested English proficiency, critical-thinking, and debate skills, with the Nigerian duo clinching top prizes.
Seventeen-year-old Nafisa Aminu, a student of Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC) in Mamudo, Yobe State, claimed the top global prize in English Language Skills, outperforming over 20,000 participants from 69 countries, including native English speakers, while fifteen-year-old Ruqayya Fema, also from the same college, was recognised for her performance in the debate category.
The international competition tested participants on English proficiency, critical thinking, and communication skills, and their victory has drawn widespread commendation for showcasing the talent and academic potential of Nigerian youth on the world stage.
Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, congratulated Nafisa in a post on his official X handle, calling her success “a shining example of what the Nigerian girl-child can achieve when provided with quality education and a supportive environment”.
Atiku emphasised the importance of investing in girls’ education, describing it as not just an issue of equity but a strategic imperative for national development. “Let us, as a community, commit to dismantling every barrier that prevents the girl-child from realizing her full potential,” he stated.
Echoing similar sentiments, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, urged President Bola Tinubu to honour Nafisa with national recognition, citing the precedent set for victorious female sports teams.
Pantami said: “If our female athletes can be so handsomely rewarded for bringing glory to Nigeria, then Nafisa — who has elevated our global image through academics — equally deserves $100,000, a three-bedroom flat, and a national honour. Her English teacher should also be appreciated, just as the coaches and technical teams of the sports squads were rewarded.”
He described Nafisa’s feat as a product of natural talent, dedication, discipline, and strong family and school support. Pantami called for consistent recognition of academic excellence to inspire future generations. “Education is the passport to future development. Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”, he added.
Meanwhile, Governor Mai Mala Buni, of Yobe State, also joined in celebrating the duo, describing their accomplishments as “a great honour to the state and the country.” In a statement issued by his Director-General of Press and Media Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, Buni revealed plans to host a grand reception in their honour.
Buni highlighted that both Nafisa and Ruqayya are beneficiaries of his administration’s scholarship programme, which currently sponsors 890 students at NTIC and over 40,000 students across various tertiary institutions within and outside Nigeria.
The girls’ victories have not only brought pride to Nigeria, but also renewed calls for greater national investment in education, particularly for the girl-child, and a rethinking of how academic excellence is celebrated and rewarded.
NTIC, the school attended by the two award-winning students, is managed by Turks and funded by the Yobe State Government as part of its commitment to improving access to quality education.
