By Ahmad Shafiu – U19mm1146
LONDON, UK / YOBE, NIGERIA, August 2025, in what many have hailed as one of Nigeria’s most inspiring educational achievements in recent years, Nafisa Abdullah Aminu, a 17-year-old student from Yobe State, has been crowned the top English language performer globally at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals held in London, United Kingdom.
Nafisa outshone more than 20,000 participants from 69 countries, including several native English speaking nations, to emerge as the overall winner in the prestigious international competition. She is a student at the Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC), Yobe State, and has since become a national sensation, especially across social media platforms where Nigerians continue to celebrate her rare accomplishment.
A Global Victory from Yobe
The TeenEagle competition, known for testing teens in critical thinking, English proficiency, and communication skills, is one of the most competitive global platforms for secondary school students. Nafisa's emergence as the overall best has been described as nothing short of phenomenal.
Her victory is being credited to her natural intelligence, academic discipline, and the supportive environment provided by her parents and schools. It is yet another reminder that with the right investment in education, Nigerian students can compete and win on any global stage.
National Leaders Join the Call for Recognition
Following the announcement of her win, several prominent voices, including Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, CON, Co-Chairman of the African Union’s 4th Industrial Revolution Policy Council, have called on the Federal Government to honour Nafisa in the same manner athletes are celebrated for international victories.
In a statement originally shared online, Pantami urged the government to reward Nafisa with:
1. $100,000 cash
2. A three-bedroom flat
3. A national honour such as the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)
Pantami cited the recent recognition of Nigeria’s women’s football team, who each received $100,000, a flat, and national honours after winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and the D’Tigress basketball team, who were celebrated for their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title. He insisted that academic excellence deserves similar national attention.
“Let us invite Nafisa, our daughter and the daughter of all Nigerians, along with her English teacher, to Aso Rock Villa. Let them be celebrated by the President. What is good for the goose is good for the gander,” Pantami said.
He also recommended a national reward for her English teacher, like the rewards often given to sports coaches and technical teams.
Education Must Be Celebrated
This event has reignited a conversation around how Nigeria rewards academic achievements versus sports or entertainment victories. Many believe that celebrating minds like Nafisa’s can inspire a new generation of young Nigerians to take their education seriously.
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today,” Pantami noted, quoting a popular phrase to emphasise the importance of investing in intellectual talent.
As citizens continue to applaud Nafisa’s extraordinary feat, the hope is that the Federal Government will respond positively and take deliberate steps to reward and elevate academic champions as national role models.