The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that the cash gifts awarded to eight Nigerian winners of the TeenEagle 2024/2025 global competition were personal donations from the Minister of Education Tunji Alausa, and not government funds.
The presentation took place on August 28, 2025, during a national recognition event in the United Kingdom.
According to the Ministry, Alausa made the announcement at the event and later reiterated the gesture on her verified social media handle.
In a press statement, the Ministry stressed that it has no budgetary provision for cash awards, explaining that its focus remains on scholarships and educational support for students in public tertiary institutions.
It added that Alausa’s gesture was aimed at celebrating the winners and inspiring other Nigerian children to strive for excellence.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Education has been drawn to misinformation circulating on social media regarding the monetary gifts presented to the eight Nigerian winners of the TeenEagle 2024/2025 Global Competition in the United Kingdom.
“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. Mariya Tijani Alausa.
“These gifts were not funded by the Federal Government or the Federal Ministry of Education.This fact was clearly announced during the event and further reiterated by the Honourable Minister on his verified social media handle. Any claims suggesting otherwise are false and misleading.
“Dr. Alausa emphasized that, “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”.
“It must also be understood that the Federal Ministry of Education does not have any budgetary allocation for cash awards or monetary gifts.
“The Ministry’s financial provisions are strictly dedicated to scholarships and structured educational support, in line with government policy, which is only available to students entering or currently studying at our public tertiary institutions: universities, colleges of education, and polytechnics.
“The Honourable Minister’s gesture should therefore be understood for what it is: a personal act of generosity and encouragement, intended to celebrate the achievements of these young girls and inspire other Nigerian children to reach greater heights.
“The Federal Ministry of Education remains committed to recognising excellence, building a robust and globally competitive education system, and delivering on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR’s vision of education as the cornerstone of national development. Every Nigerian child deserves access to world-class learning opportunities, and this remains our unwavering priority.
“This clarification should lay to rest any misinformation as we continue to encourage all Nigerian children to pursue excellence and reach the highest levels of academic achievement.”