The Federal Ministry of Education has debunked claims circulating on social media that the monetary gifts presented to Nigerian winners of the TeenEagle 2024/2025 Global Competition in the United Kingdom were funded by the Federal Government.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, the Ministry clarified that the cash gifts given to the eight student winners during the national recognition event on August 28 were personal tokens from the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and not from the Ministry’s budget. The Ministry stressed that this fact was clearly announced at the event and later reaffirmed by Dr. Alausa on his verified social media handle.
Dr. Alausa explained that the gesture was his way of appreciating the students’ exceptional performance and encouraging other children, especially girls, to strive for academic excellence. He stated, “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.”
The Ministry further emphasised that it has no budgetary allocation for cash awards or monetary gifts, with financial provisions strictly reserved for scholarships and structured educational support in line with government policy. It noted that such support is available only to students in public universities, colleges of education, and polytechnics.
Concluding the clarification, the Ministry described Dr. Alausa’s gesture as a personal act of generosity, not a government expenditure. It reaffirmed its commitment to recognising excellence, strengthening Nigeria’s education system, and delivering on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of making education the cornerstone of national development.
