The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed reports that the cash gifts presented to Nigerian winners of the TeenEagle 2024/2025 Global Competition came from government coffers.
In a statement issued Thursday via its official X handle, the ministry explained that the awards were personal donations from the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, not federal funds.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry wishes to state categorically that the monetary tokens presented at the national recognition event on August 28, 2025, were personal gifts from the Honourable Minister,” the statement read.
Dr. Alausa, who had earlier commented on the matter, said the gesture was to encourage the eight students for their outstanding performances and inspire others.
“This gift was just a token of appreciation for the efforts made by these young Nigerians and also to encourage other children to aim for excellence,” he said.
The ministry stressed that government financial provisions are strictly directed towards scholarships and structured educational support in public tertiary institutions, not cash awards. It described social media claims to the contrary as “false and misleading.”
Reaffirming its commitment to rewarding excellence and supporting education reforms, the ministry urged the public to view the Minister’s gesture as a private act of generosity, not state expenditure.
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