Nafisa Aminu, 17 and Rukayya Fema, 15, two students from Yobe State, have received widespread praise after emerging as top performers at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals in London, beating 20,000 contestants from 69 countries in English language and debate categories.
The students, both from Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC) in Mamudo, represented Nigeria at the competition, which assesses English proficiency, critical thinking and communication skills among teenagers worldwide.
Nafisa was named the World’s Best in English Language Skills, while Rukayya emerged Overall Best in Debate.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, in a social media post, celebrated both students as daughters of Yobe State and examples of what Nigerian youth can achieve with the right support.
He also acknowledged the role of parents, teachers and mentors, stating that their commitment has produced national impact.
Other leaders who congratulated the students include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni and former minister of communications and digital economy Isa Pantami.
Mr Atiku, in a post on X, described Nafisa’s success as proof of what is possible when girls are given access to education and a conducive learning environment.
He called for more investment in girls’ education and the removal of barriers to their progress.
Governor Buni described the achievement as an honour to the state and country.
He noted that both girls are beneficiaries of the state government’s scholarship scheme, which supports over 40,000 students locally and internationally. He said the government will host the students at a formal reception.
He also mentioned that 167 other beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme recently graduated from universities in India in various fields, including medicine, engineering and computer science.
The NTIC Mamudo campus, where the students are enrolled, was built and funded by the Yobe State Government and is currently run by a Turkish organisation.
Pantami urged the federal government to honour Nafisa in the same way it recently recognised members of Nigeria’s national football and basketball teams.
He proposed a $100,000 reward, a three-bedroom flat and a national award for her, as well as recognition for her English teacher.
Nafisa’s guardian, Hassan Salifu, confirmed the news and said her success came from consistent discipline and support from the state government.
