The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified reports circulating on social media regarding monetary gifts presented to Nigerian winners of the TeenEagle 2024/2025 Global Competition in the United Kingdom.
In August 2025, ₦200,000 was presented to Nafisah Abdullahi, winner of the TeenEagle Global Finals. Later, Nigeriastartupact.ng reported that the CEO of Manga Automobiles, Muhammad Manga, awarded ₦800,000 to Nafisa Abdullahi Aminu, winner of the TeenEagle World English Language Competition. The total disbursement reached ₦1.7 million on 29 August 2025.
In a statement released Thursday on its official X handle, the Ministry said the cash awards given to the eight Nigerian students were personal gifts from the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, and not funded by the government.
‘For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry wishes to state categorically that the monetary tokens presented at the national recognition event held on Thursday, 28th August 2025, were personal gifts from the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa.
‘These gifts were not funded by the Federal Government or the Federal Ministry of Education’, the statement read.
Dr. Alausa, who had earlier addressed the issue on his verified social media page, explained that the gesture was intended as encouragement for the students.
‘This gift was just a token of my appreciation of the effort made by these young girls and to also serve as encouragement to other girls and young children in Nigeria to excel’, he said.
The Ministry stressed that its financial provisions are not designed for cash awards or monetary gifts but are strictly channelled into scholarships and structured educational support in line with government policy.
These, it noted, are only available to students entering or studying at public tertiary institutions, including universities, colleges of education, and polytechnics.
It further urged the public to disregard claims suggesting the funds came from government coffers, describing such reports as ‘false and misleading’.
The Ministry added that the Minister’s gesture should be seen as a personal act of generosity and encouragement meant to inspire young Nigerians to aim higher.
It reaffirmed its commitment to recognising excellence, strengthening the education sector, and delivering on President Bola Tinubu’s vision of education as a cornerstone of national development.
