Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, has clarified that the monetary reward given to Nigerian winners of the TeenEagle 2024/2025 Global Competition was from his personal funds and not from the Federal Government.
In a statement on Thursday, Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the ministry, said the clarification followed online criticism of the amount presented to the champions.
Three teenage girls, Nafisa Abdullahi Aminu, Rukayya Muhammad Fema, and Hadiza Kashim Kalli, defeated thousands of competitors worldwide to emerge champions in the global English-language contest held in the United Kingdom.
But when it became public that each of them received N200,000, Nigerians on social media described the gift as too meager compared to donations given to football and basketball stars.
Part of the statement read: “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Education has been drawn to misinformation circulating on social media regarding the monetary gifts presented to the eight Nigerian winners of the TeenEagle 2024/2025 Global Competition in the United Kingdom.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ministry wishes to state categorically that the monetary tokens presented at the national recognition event held on Thursday, 28th August 2025, were personal gifts from the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa. These gifts were not funded by the federal government or the Federal Ministry of Education.”
The statement added that Alausa had announced this at the event and reiterated it on his verified social media handle.
Alausa explained that the money was a token of his appreciation for the effort of the young girls and an encouragement to other children across Nigeria.
He said the ministry has no budget for cash awards or monetary gifts, stressing that its allocations are strictly dedicated to scholarships and structured educational support for students in public universities, colleges of education, and polytechnics
The ministry said the gesture should be understood as a personal act of generosity and encouragement.
“The Federal Ministry of Education remains committed to recognising excellence, building a robust and globally competitive education system, and delivering on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of education as the cornerstone of national development.
“This clarification should lay to rest any misinformation as we continue to encourage all Nigerian children to pursue excellence and reach the highest levels of academic achievement,” the statement clarified.
