Lagos, 5 August 2025 — Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Co-Chairman of the African Union’s 4th Industrial Revolution Policy Council, has called on the Nigerian federal government to reward Nafisa Abdullah Aminu, the 17-year-old student from Yobe State who was recently crowned the world’s best in English at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals in London.
Nafisa, a pupil at Nigerian Tulip International College in Yobe, outperformed more than 20,000 contestants from 69 countries, including native English-speaking nations, to claim the top prize in the prestigious competition. Her achievement has been widely celebrated as a testament to the potential of Nigerian students when provided with the right opportunities and environment.
In a statement, Pantami praised Nafisa’s dedication, discipline, and the support she received from her family and school. He urged the government to grant her a reward similar to the $100,000 cash prize, a three-bedroom flat, and the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) national honour recently awarded to members of Nigeria’s victorious women’s football team, who won the Women’s Africa Cup in Morocco.
Pantami also advocated for recognition of Nafisa’s English teacher, suggesting a reward equivalent to those given to the coaching and technical staff of Nigeria’s women’s national football and basketball teams. He emphasised that education must be taken seriously and that efforts by citizens in academic fields should be rewarded on par with sporting achievements.
“Education is the passport to future development,” Pantami said. “Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today through education and skills.”
He further called on the presidency to formally invite Nafisa and her teacher for official recognition, stating, “What is good for the goose is good for the gander.”
Nafisa’s victory follows recent successes by Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, who secured their fifth consecutive win at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship and qualified for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament.
Her triumph and the calls for national recognition have sparked widespread discussion about the importance of investing in education and celebrating academic excellence in Nigeria.
