17-yr-old winner of the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals, Nafisa Abdullah Aminu, has said she always wanted the world to know that Nigerians, regardless of their background, could compete and win on the global stage.
After her historic World Best in English Language Skills win, Nafisa spoke exclusively to LEADERSHIP. She said she was emotional when her name was called at the London, United Kingdom event.
“I stood frozen for a moment, unsure if I had heard correctly. Then I looked around and saw my teachers cheering. That’s when it hit me. I remembered thinking Yobe had just won something on the world stage. We did it.”
Representing Nigeria through the Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC), the 17-year-old from Yobe State beat over 20,000 participants from 69 countries, including native English-speaking nations, to claim the top prize in a competition known for its rigorous tests in language, critical thinking, and communication skills.
Nafisa said, “I’m so glad I got to represent my dear country, Nigeria. Defeating contestants worldwide, especially countries where English is the first language, made the win even more meaningful. I wanted the world to know we can be the best, too.”
But behind the cameras and celebration was a deeper story of determination, resilience, and belief. Nafisa described her journey to the global finals as one filled with intense preparation, late nights, and moments of self-doubt.
She admitted that, “There were times I cried in private. I would ask myself, can someone from Yobe win this? But each time I had doubts, I reminded myself of the sacrifices my parents made, the support of my teachers, and the opportunity I received through the Yobe State Government’s scholarship programme. That kept me going.”
A proud beneficiary of Governor Mai Mala Buni’s scholarship scheme, Nafisa said the initiative changed the trajectory of her academic life and gave her the platform to compete. Looking back, she reflects on how far she has come from always working hard, believing this often leads to positive outcomes and unexpected achievements.
“Without the scholarship, I may never have attended NTIC, the school that groomed and believed in me. This victory is not just mine; it belongs to everyone who invested in my education. It proves that amazing things can happen when the government supports young people.”
For Nafisa, her win is not only personal, it’s deeply symbolic. Coming from Yobe, a state often associated with the history of insurgency, she hopes her story will help change the narrative.
“When people hear ‘Yobe,’ they think of conflict or underdevelopment. But this win tells a different story: our children are brilliant, capable, and ready to lead. I hope it makes people see my state in a new light.”
As for what’s next, Nafisa is clear: She wants to continue learning, use her voice for change, and inspire others, especially girls from underserved communities, to believe in their dreams.
“I want to use language to solve problems, advocate for peace, and represent Nigeria even more. And I want to mentor other girls to tell them, ‘You can do this too.’”
Looking back, I reflect on how far I’ve come from always working hard, believing this often leads to positive outcomes and unexpected achievements.
“If I could speak to my 10-year-old self, I’d say, ‘Keep going. Keep reading. Keep dreaming. One day, the world will listen.”
Now, at just 17, she stated that the world isn’t just listening; it’s celebrating her.
LEADERSHIP reports that in the heart of Yobe and across Nigeria, Nafisa Abdullah Aminu has become a symbol of what is possible when talent, hard work, and opportunity come together.
Meanwhile, Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has approved a grand ceremony to honour 17-year-old Nafisa Abdullah and 15-year-old Rukayya Muhammad Fema for emerging as World bests in English language skills and overall debate competitions, respectively, at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals in London, United Kingdom.
Nafisa and Rukayya, both from Yobe state, are Nigerian Tulip International College students who represented Nigeria at the World competition, beating 20,000 other participants from 69 countries.
Nafisa and Rukayya both benefit from Governor Mai Mala Buni’s scholarship programme, which covers full tuition for 890 students at the Nigeria Tulip International College.
According to the statement signed by Mamman Mohammed, DG Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, Buni described the outstanding performances as a great honour to the state and country.
“These are great feats that make us proud and justify the government’s investment in the education sector”, Buni said.
He assured that his administration would continue to subsidise education so that every child in the state would have the opportunity to go to school and appealed to parents for cooperation.
“Government has reconstructed schools destroyed by the protracted insurgency, provided furniture, books, laboratory equipment and employed more qualified teachers to improve the quality of education in the state, and it is still a work in progress “, he said.
About 40,000 Yobe state students are on government scholarships, studying various courses at universities and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria and overseas.
It would be recalled that, a few months ago, the state celebrated the graduation of 167 beneficiaries of the state-funded scholarship programme who graduated in medical sciences, computer science and engineering from Indian Universities.
On his Facebook page, the former presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has congratulated Nafisa Abdullah Aminu of Nigerian Tulip International College, Yobe State, for her remarkable achievement in being recognised as the world’s best in English at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals.
According to him, Nafisa’s outstanding success serves as a powerful testament to the limitless potential of the Nigerian girl-child when provided with quality education and a supportive environment.
He said that investing in our girls’ education is not just a matter of fairness but a strategic necessity for national transformation.
He added, “Let us, as a community, commit to dismantling every barrier that prevents the girl child from realising her full potential.
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