When three teenage girls from Yobe State conquered the world stage at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals in London, they brought home more than trophies — they brought pride to Nigeria.
Nafisa Abdullahi Aminu, Rukayya Muhammad Fema, and Hadiza Kashim Kalli excelled in English language skills, debate, and talent, outshining competitors from nearly 70 countries. Governor Mai Mala Buni promised them a hero’s welcome.
But while the President sent a congratulatory message praising their “resilience and boundless potential,” the federal honours, cash rewards, and gifts that recently rained on the Super Falcons and D’Tigress never came.
For many Northerners, the silence was deafening.
“It’s simple,” said Mustapha Aminu Maigano on social media. “Rewarding Nafisa is rewarding education — and the future of Nigeria.”
Mairo Muhammad Mudi was more scathing, asking whether the snub was because the girls came from conflict-scarred Yobe or because their win didn’t trend online. “The President knew about their victory — yet nothing was done,” she wrote. “The North is starting to ask if we are even on the national radar.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Minister Isa Ali Pantami had both called for national honours, scholarships, and housing for the girls. The calls went unanswered.
The perceived bias has fuelled frustration already stoked by political figures like Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, who accuse the President of sidelining the North.
Some, however, argue that comparing the girls’ win to national sports achievements is unfair, as the Falcons and D’Tigress represented all of Nigeria.
But for many in Yobe, the feeling is clear: the nation they made proud didn’t return the favour — and they will remember in 2027.
