Amid widespread national celebration and growing calls for official recognition, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated three Nigerian students—Nafisa Abdullahi Aminu, Rukayya Muhammad Fema, and Hadiza Kashim Kalli—for their exceptional performance at the 2025 TeenEagle Global competition held in London, United Kingdom.
Seventeen-year-old Nafisa, a student of Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC) in Yobe State, emerged as the overall best in English language skills, triumphing over more than 20,000 participants from 69 countries, including native English-speaking nations. Rukayya, 15, was declared best in debate, while Hadiza won gold in the outstanding talent category.
In a statement released on Wednesday, August 6, by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu hailed the trio as “exceptional young Nigerians” and said their achievements symbolise the country’s bright future and the immense potential within its youth.
The president praised the students’ schools for their role in nurturing excellence, affirming his administration’s commitment to removing financial barriers in education through initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). “President Tinubu commends these exceptional young Nigerians for the feat and affirms that the nation’s future is much brighter with many of its youth as repositories of excellence,” the statement said.
He also noted that the achievements of the girls were a testament to the quality and potential of Nigeria’s educational system as a builder of some of the world’s brightest minds.
The congratulatory message comes as Nigerians continue to celebrate the young stars’ success, particularly across social media, where citizens are demanding national honours, scholarships, and housing rewards for the girls—similar to what was given to members of the Super Falcons and D’Tigress after their recent sporting victories.
The ICIR earlier reported that Nafisa’s feat has sparked renewed discussions on the potential of Nigeria’s educational system and the need for institutional support to elevate young talents to global stages.
