Education Minister Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa has moved to clarify that monetary gifts presented to Nigerian winners of the TeenEagle 2024/2025 Global Competition were his personal gesture of appreciation, not government funding, following social media misinformation about the source of the awards.
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The Minister’s clarification, issued through the Federal Ministry of Education on Tuesday, comes after false claims circulated online suggesting the monetary tokens presented during a national recognition event on August 28, 2025, were funded by the Federal Government.
“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,” Dr. Alausa stated, according to the ministry’s statement.
The Federal Ministry of Education stressed that the monetary gifts presented to the eight Nigerian winners of the international competition came entirely from Dr. Alausa’s personal resources, not from any government allocation or ministry budget.
According to Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the ministry, this fact was clearly announced during the recognition event and subsequently reiterated by the Minister on his verified social media platforms.
“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,” the statement read.
The ministry pointed out that Dr. Alausa’s gesture should be understood as “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 ministry noted that it does not maintain any budgetary provisions for cash awards or monetary gifts to competition winners.
Instead, the ministry’s financial framework focuses specifically on structured educational support. “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 statement explained.
This policy framework ensures that government educational funding channels through established scholarship programs and institutional support rather than discretionary monetary awards.
The ministry’s statement directly addressed what it described as “misinformation circulating on social media” regarding the source and nature of the monetary gifts. Officials expressed concern that false claims could undermine public understanding of government financial policies and the Minister’s personal initiatives to encourage academic excellence.
Despite the controversy surrounding the monetary gifts, the ministry reaffirmed its broader commitment to supporting Nigerian students and building educational excellence across the country.
“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,” the statement declared.
The ministry stressed that supporting Nigerian children’s academic achievements remains a priority, whether through official government programs or personal initiatives by leadership. “Every Nigerian child deserves access to world-class learning opportunities, and this remains our unwavering priority,” officials stated.
The TeenEagle competition recognition event highlighted Nigeria’s participation in international academic competitions and the success of young Nigerian students on global platforms. The ministry used the opportunity to encourage broader participation in such competitions.
“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,” the statement concluded.
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