A storm of criticism has trailed the Federal Government’s recent reward of N200,000 to 17-year-old Nafisah Abdullahi, the Nigerian student who emerged as the world champion at the prestigious TeenEagle Global English Competition in London.
Nafisah, a student from Yobe State, stunned the world by defeating contestants from several countries to emerge the overall best in English grammar, comprehension, and vocabulary. Her victory put Nigeria’s education sector in the global spotlight, earning the admiration of educators worldwide.
Yet, when the Federal Government, through the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, honoured her in Abuja last Thursday, the cash reward was a modest N200,000—an amount many have described as “disgraceful” and “an insult” to the nation’s brightest young mind.
Observers have been quick to draw a painful comparison: the same administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu only weeks ago rewarded each member of the Super Falcons, winners of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with $100,000 (about N150 million each at current exchange rates), a three-bedroom flat, and national honours. Even the team’s technical crew received $50,000 each.
Critics argue that while rewarding sporting achievements is commendable, the blatant imbalance exposes the government’s skewed priorities. “What message are we sending to our young people? That football is valued at hundreds of millions but academic brilliance at just two hundred thousand?” one educationist asked angrily.
At the Abuja ceremony, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suiwaba Ahmad, praised Nafisah for bringing pride to Nigeria and urged other students to emulate her discipline. But Nigerians on social media were not impressed. Many described the government’s gesture as “tokenism” and called for urgent reform in how academic excellence is rewarded.
“This government is quick to celebrate entertainers and sportsmen with millions of dollars, yet a teenager who conquered the world with knowledge is handed transport fare,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Nafisah, visibly elated, thanked her parents, teachers, and country for their support, promising to keep striving for excellence. But beyond her personal joy, her story has ignited a wider debate about Nigeria’s value system—where intellectual brilliance appears to rank far below the glamour of sports and entertainment.
For a country battling brain drain and educational decline, many insist the Federal Government must rethink its reward system if it truly wants to inspire the next generation of Nigerian scientists, innovators, and world leaders.
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