Nafisa’s global triumph proves Nigeria must value education as much as sports

I join millions of Nigerians at home and abroad in celebrating the exceptional brilliance of Nafisa Abdullah Aminu, the 17-year-old prodigy from Yobe State who emerged as the global champion in the 2025 TeenEagle English Language Competition in London. Beating over 20,000 participants from 69 countries many from English-speaking nations Nafisa has demonstrated that talent, discipline, […]

I join millions of Nigerians at home and abroad in celebrating the exceptional brilliance of Nafisa Abdullah Aminu, the 17-year-old prodigy from Yobe State who emerged as the global champion in the 2025 TeenEagle English Language Competition in London. Beating over 20,000 participants from 69 countries many from English-speaking nations Nafisa has demonstrated that talent, discipline, and determination know no boundaries.

Her extraordinary feat is not only a source of national pride but also a powerful rebuttal to the lingering notion that mastery of English and academic excellence are the preserve of others. This victory has proven, beyond any reasonable doubt, that given the right environment and guidance, Nigerian youths can compete and triumph on the world stage.

As Nelson Mandela rightly said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nafisa’s success is living proof of this truth. Through education, she has dismantled stereotypes, uplifted the image of her country, and inspired countless young Nigerians who now know that their dreams are valid.

We have seen similar inspiring stories before. In 2022, Faith Odunsi, another Nigerian teenager, stunned the world by winning the Global Mathematics Olympiad. In 2018, Fiyinfoluwa Oladipo excelled at an international mathematics competition. These examples, coupled with Nafisa’s recent triumph, show that Nigerian youths possess exceptional potential that must be celebrated, encouraged, and supported.

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Yet, while our nation has rightly celebrated victories in sports such as our women’s football team, who received $100,000, a three-bedroom flat, and national honours after winning the Africa Cup of Nations we must remember that excellence is not limited to the football field or the basketball court. Education and other fields of human endeavour deserve equal, if not greater, recognition. When we reward intellectual achievements the same way we reward sporting triumphs, we send a powerful message to every Nigerian child: your mind is just as valuable as your muscles.

In this light, I strongly support the call by Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami for Nafisa and her English teacher to be honoured. Rewarding their efforts will not only motivate them but will also inspire millions of young Nigerians to believe in the transformative power of education.

As Booker T. Washington once said: “Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.” Nafisa has done exactly that proving that through hard work, education, and the right support, there are no limits to what our youths can achieve.

Indeed, Nafisa is not only a champion; she is a role model, a beacon of hope, and a reminder that education remains the best legacy parents can give their children. Her story should awaken our collective resolve to build a Nigeria where every child has the opportunity to succeed and be celebrated for it.

This is why I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the National Assembly to publicly recognise Nafisa’s achievement with a national award, a financial reward, and the same level of honour we grant our sporting heroes. Moreover, we must institutionalise a system of rewarding academic excellence through scholarships, national honours, and grants so that education is not treated as a second-class priority in our national value system.

If we truly value our future, we must extend national recognition beyond sports to education, science, technology, and every field where Nigerians excel. The time has come to make it clear that in Nigeria, brilliance in the classroom is just as worthy of celebration as victory on the pitch. Nafisa’s triumph should be the beginning of a new chapter one where our nation proves that we are ready to invest in minds, not just medals.

 

Dr. Gidado Abdulkarim Salimon, No 1b Halal Street Daudu Islamic Village, Ilorin  Email: [email protected].