The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone E (North East), has strongly criticised the Federal Government for awarding only ₦200,000 to Nafisah Abdullahi, the Nigerian teenager who won the TeenEagle Global Competition, describing the gesture as “a national disgrace” and proof that the country places little value on education.
In a statement released on Sunday, August 31, 2025, and signed by Comrade Sani Adamu, Chief Press Secretary to the Coordinator of NANS Zone E, the student body said the token reward was “grossly inadequate” in relation to Abdullahi’s outstanding performance at an international contest that placed Nigeria on the global stage.
“While we commend our students for their brilliance and outstanding performance on the global stage, we consider the reward grossly inadequate and not reflective of the value of their achievement. Such an international victory deserves a more befitting recognition that would motivate not only the winners but also other Nigerian students striving for academic excellence,” the statement read.
The Federal Government, through the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, had on Thursday, August 28, 2025, presented the ₦200,000 prize to Nafisah Abdullahi at a ceremony in Abuja.
The award drew mixed reactions nationwide, with many Nigerians arguing that it fell short of the recognition such a feat deserved.
NANS highlighted the disparity between the treatment of academic champions and the lavish rewards given to athletes.
The association recalled that earlier in August 2025, President Bola Tinubu had rewarded the Super Falcons and D’Tigress following their victories at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco and the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket Championship in Rwanda.
The President conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on all 24 Super Falcons players and 11 technical crew members after their dramatic 3–2 comeback win against Morocco on Sunday, August 10, 2025.
Each player received a cash gift equivalent to $100,000, while the technical crew got $50,000 each.
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In addition, the athletes were allocated fully furnished three-bedroom apartments in the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Housing Estate in Abuja.
Similarly, D’Tigress, who clinched their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title after defeating Senegal in the finals on Saturday, August 16, 2025, were celebrated with the same package of rewards.
NANS said this glaring imbalance showed that Nigeria celebrates sports far above intellectual achievements, warning that such practices discourage academic pursuit and undermine the dignity of Nigerian students.
“This government has once again demonstrated that it places no premium on education. When it comes to sports, millions of dollars are spent to celebrate victories, but when our students put Nigeria on the global map through knowledge, they are handed peanuts,” the association said.
The student body called on the Federal Government to urgently review Abdullahi’s cash reward upward in line with global best practices, stressing that neglecting to do so would demoralise young Nigerians working hard to excel academically.
“It is tragic that in a country battling a collapsing education sector, students who fly Nigeria’s flag on the global stage are mocked with ₦200,000, while politicians enjoy reckless luxury at the expense of taxpayers. This is not only insulting but dangerous for our future,” the statement concluded.