It’s Time To Reward Academic Excellence Like We Do Sports And Entertainment

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has called on the Federal Government to reward a 17-year-old Nigerian student, Nafisa Aminu, for emerging as the top global performer in English language skills at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals.

In a post on his official X handle on Tuesday, Pantami said Nafisa deserves recognition just like the victorious Super Falcons and the D’Tigress, who were given $100,000, a three-bedroom flat, and a national honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger.

Indeed, Professor Isa Ali Pantami’s call to action on rewards for acadamic excellence is long-overdue wake-up call. His appeal to the federal government to bestow significant honours and tangible rewards, including a $100,000 prize and a three-bedroom home on young academic star Nafisa is not just a commendation of one student’s brilliance. It is a challenge to Nigeria’s value system.

Nafisa’s extraordinary academic achievement is a beacon of what is possible when talent meets discipline, and when teachers are empowered to do what they do best: inspire and guide. Yet, in a country where we routinely celebrate entertainers and athletes with national honours, endorsements, and government gifts, similar recognition for academic excellence remains rare and exceptional.

We have come to equate national pride with physical feats and celebrity status, often ignoring the quiet intellectual triumphs that can be just as transformative, if not more so. But as Prof. Pantami rightly argues, it is high time we start rewarding the best minds among us with the same enthusiasm. Not only does Nafisa deserve national recognition, but so does the English teacher who helped shape her journey. The idea of offering educators rewards comparable to the coaching staff of national sports teams isn’t radical, it’s just fair and appropriate.

Behind every outstanding student is a mentor who pushed boundaries, challenged limits, and believed in possibility. When we reward teachers alongside their students, we reinforce the value of mentorship and excellence in education. That’s how we can build a culture that prioritizes learning.

Imagine the power of a headline in our National Newspapers: “Young Nigerian Scholar Awarded $100,000, House, and National Honour for Academic Brilliance.” Such headlines would send a message louder than any anthem played after a football victory. It would ring in the ears of students nationwide, proving that intellect is not only valuable, it’s celebrated.

When we lavish rewards solely on physical or performative success, we risk telling our youth that their brains don’t matter as much as their brawn or their popularity. But when we honour academic excellence publicly and generously, we build a future powered by innovation, intellect, and informed leadership.

The government now has a golden opportunity to change the national narrative. Nafisa’s story must not be allowed to fade into obscurity. Her success and that of her teacher should be institutionalized as a model for what is possible when we believe in the power of education.

We say we want development. We talk about transformation. But neither can these happen unless we place the same value on the pen as we do on the ball.

It’s time. Let’s reward our scholars the way we reward our football stars.

~ Bala can be reached at: [email protected]