Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has rewarded three TeenEagle World Champions from the state with ₦10 million each, laptops and full scholarships for higher education, in recognition of their outstanding performance at the international TeenEagle competition held in London.
The awards were presented on Thursday during a grand reception at the newly inaugurated Biomedical Research and Training Centre (BioRTC) at Yobe State University, Damaturu.
The beneficiaries, Nafisa Abdullahi, Rukaiya Mohammed Fema and Hadiza Kashim Kalli, were lauded for bringing international recognition to Yobe State through academic excellence.
Speaking at the event, Buni described the girls’ achievement as a product of dedication and resilience, noting that it reflected his administration’s sustained investment in education, particularly girl-child education.
He also rewarded their teachers with laptops, including Haseebullah Jogi, former Principal of the Girls’ Section, and Abdullateef Abdulkareem, an English teacher, in appreciation of their role in grooming the champions.
The governor disclosed that the state government pays about ₦5 billion annually for school fees at Tulip International College, as well as ₦5.3 billion yearly for the feeding of students in public schools across the state.
According to him, the government also settles examination fees for NECO, WAEC, NABTEB and NBAIS for students in public schools to reduce the financial burden on parents and improve access to quality education.
“These interventions are deliberate efforts to ensure that no child in Yobe State is denied education due to financial constraints,” Buni said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Abba Idris Adam, presented dummy cheques to the award recipients on behalf of the state government.
The ceremony attracted top government officials, education stakeholders, academics, parents and students, and was described by attendees as a landmark celebration of academic excellence at the newly commissioned BioRTC Centre.
