How ‘Bias’ For Sports, Entertainment Reinforces ‘School Na Scam’ Myth
In Nigeria’s whims-based reward system, the award of $100,000 and more largesse to sports and entertainment stars, but almost nothing for academic laurels, is confounding. Sadly, most of the best graduating brains, budding innovators and inventors in Nigerian public universities are still awarded decades-old prizes ranging from a tuber of yam, a fowl, a basket of fruits, endowment cash prizes ranging from ₦200 to ₦2,500, dry certificates of recognition, or just a handshake for photo-ups! They suggest that the Nigerian society loathes boring academic geniuses that subtly give credence to ‘school na scam’ modern idiocy, ENO-ABASI SUNDAY, CHRISTIAN OKPARA, IYABO LAWAL, and ADEYEMI ADEPETUN write.
THE premium placed on novel academic attainments is mirrored in the Federal Government’s recent rewarding of 17-year-old Nafisa Abdullah Aminu, who emerged as the World’s Best in English Language Skills at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals in London, with a paltry ₦200,000.
While commending Ms. Aminu, the Education Minister, who presented the ₦200,000 cheque on behalf of the Federal Government, described her feat as a testament to the brilliance and resilience of Nigerian students, adding that the global recognition underscores the need for sustained investment in education and opportunities for young people to showcase their potential internationally.
For many, Aminu’s public presentation should have been a moment of national pride — the triumph of intellect, the victory of knowledge, the vindication that Nigerian children, though raised in broken classrooms with tattered textbooks, can still outshine peers from nations where education is richly funded. Instead, the moment was reduced to farce.
It was a sharp contrast from the mood weeks ago when the Federal Government rolled out the drums and rewarded the Super Falcons and D’Tigress for winning the African Women’s Cup of Nations and the Women’s AfroBasket Championship, in that order, with the naira equivalent of $100,000 (over ₦150 million), national honours and three-bedroom apartments to each of the players and their coaches.
The heroic football and basketball stars also toured the streets of Lagos and boardrooms of sport-loving corporate organisations, picking up more cash awards in an unprecedented fashion of deserved appreciation of excellence.
But for Nafisa Abdullah Aminu’s excellence in academics, the prize was a one-off, and the recognition was like a condolence. Not a scholarship, not a lifelong educational support package, not even a promise of sustained recognition for Aminu, her teachers and the school. Yet, the same government invited the girl and her parents to travel all the way from Damaturu to Abuja for the presentation.
Anyone who knows the realities of transportation, accommodation, and feeding on such a trip will realise that the ₦200,000 reward barely covered the expenses of the journey itself. By the time they return to Yobe, how much of the so-called “national honour” would be left? Many wondered.
Indeed, money is not everything, but in many instances, and especially in a country like Nigeria, where poverty is systemic, it is close to being everything.
As the country has gradually witnessed a corrosion of its national values and ethics, money has taken centre stage. The ₦200,000 reward in today’s Nigeria barely covers a semester’s tuition in a private university. It cannot buy a modest laptop and a year’s reliable Internet. It cannot even cover the travel expenses for Nafisa to attend the very competition she conquered, had sponsors not intervened.
For stakeholders, the sharp imbalance and bias in the reward of excellence register an insidious lack of a standard national reward system. It leaves too much to the presidential discretion and political PR motives that are not just inefficient, but fuel division, resentment, erode trust, undermine meritocracy and are corrosive to the very fabric of Nigerian society.
This not only stirred a national uproar, but it was also subjected to diverse interpretations. Because when rewards are inconsistent (a handshake under one president, a house and national honour under another), there is a clear misunderstanding of what achievement will be rewarded, and how.
Doubtless, this scenario creates confusion and uncertainty and breeds controversy among Nigerians. Importantly, it also shows governments’ strong appetite for glitz and glamour, as well as their seeming disdain for intellectualism.
‘School na scam!’
Faraway from Aminu’s odd circumstance was another gathering – solemn but in a joyous mood. It was the fifth time a particular graduand would be called to the podium to receive an award.
She won almost every award available: best graduating student, best student in the faculty, department, etc. The crowd was astounded by her academic genius. But she went home with ₦540,000 for claiming seven awards of excellence, following years of rigorous, painstaking study.
When Best Somadina, living up to his name, emerged as the Mass Communication Best Graduating Student from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), formerly known as Anambra State University, he knew he would get a stream of awards. But the items he got left him bemused: a tuber of yam, a fowl and a certificate.
Bamisaye Tosin has a similar story. He got ₦200 for being the best graduating student at the Ekiti State University’s (EKSU) Department of Civil Engineering.
However, Hikmat Ibrahim-Buruji was luckier. She got a ₦2,000 prize for topping the University of Ibadan’s Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies.
Despite the poor prize money, all the recipients cited above are still lucky compared to Esther Fatogun, the 2018 best graduating student of Lagos State Polytechnic, now called Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), who only got a handshake.
In the case of Nuhu Ibrahim, the 2018 best graduating student from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), he was able to meet the then Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, who promised to sponsor his postgraduate studies. But aside from that, he only got the dean’s award for the best student from his faculty, a laptop, an award from Royal Choice Hotel worth ₦50,000, and another one from a certain Chief Felix, also worth ₦50,000.
At a recent convocation of one of Nigeria’s oldest universities, the best graduating students were gifted a paltry ₦30,000 for their efforts. Many Nigerians immediately compared the measly cash gift to years of backbreaking hard work with the millions that winners of reality shows take home in Nigeria.
Not all heroes wear capes!
In 2012, four teenage girls—Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, Faleke Oluwatoyin, and Bello Eniola- developed a power-generating set that runs on urine.
Showcased at the Maker Faire Africa, their invention demonstrated how one litre of urine could provide six hours of electricity. This ingenious solution to Nigeria’s persistent power supply issues, using a readily available waste product, has yet to receive the widespread government backing it needs to be developed on a larger scale.
There is also Timothy Addigi Terfa, an engineer, who built a customised tractor named ‘Ijodo’ (meaning ‘labour’ in Tiv language) using entirely locally sourced materials. The tractor, designed to handle a variety of farm tasks, is a testament to the potential for indigenous engineering to boost agricultural productivity.
The lack of government support for these homegrown innovations is a major concern. Experts point to a disconnect between policy and action, where promises of funding and support fail to materialise.
Yet, elsewhere in the world, intellectual triumphs are immortalised. For championing the education of the girl-child even at the risk of losing her life, Pakistan rallied behind Malala Yousafzai, and today she is a Nobel laureate. India celebrates its top students with scholarships and mentorship. Rwanda invests heavily in its brightest minds. Nigeria, in contrast, splashes billions on politicians’ allowances and football banquets, but offers mere tokens to its intellectual heroes.
Corporate organisations, individuals and government agencies all seem drawn to the stardom offered by the world of showbiz. Sports and entertainment stars are promoted, courted and honoured more than academic geniuses.
While sports and movie stars are paid huge salaries, academic researchers, lecturers and teachers earn peanuts. But can those in entertainment/sports and academics be held to the same standards? Some experts have argued that sports/entertainment stars with rare talent, and who earn so much, are few, and the money spent on them is a “recognition of the skills and dedication a person needs to be successful.”
Furthermore, they argued further that society prefers these stars to boring academic geniuses, as sports and entertainment stars bring so much joy and thrill to families, hence many are willing to fritter away their hard-earned money just for the fun of it.
They do not see academic excellence as being exciting and worth “wasting” money on.
It is also argued that famous entertainment and sports stars sometimes risk their life and health to break through.
Excellence: All for the glitz and glam…
Today, not a few parents encourage their children to join a film, sports and music academy so as to make it big in life. The get-rich-quick syndrome has become a way of life, likely because entertainment and sports offer a sure way of making it big with less stress and with fewer years and resources.
The atmosphere around here is all too familiar and flourishing. An enraptured audience was literally transfixed while the sound of a standing ovation tore through the roof. A young lady’s mellifluous voice wafted across enchantingly as she serenaded the crowd. Her dance steps were astonishing as she wowed everybody with her performance.
After performances by other contestants in the talent show, the young lady was adjudged the winner. To her name was added a cash prize of ₦40 million and a brand-new sport utility vehicle – latest model.
Big Brother Naija, a reality television show that has glued millions of Nigerians, is offering ₦150 million for its Season 10 winner! The Nigerian Idol winner of season 10 was awarded ₦30 million, a new SUV, a music deal, and a DStv Explora. This singing competition, The Voice Nigeria, has a prize of ₦50 million, according to a 2022 report. Guilder Ultimate Search adventure reality show also tabled a substantial prize of ₦50 million to the winner.
Why not if not! Everyone is now reaching for stardom: lawyers are becoming film stars, doctors have become musicians, and engineers have become reality show celebrities, just as the standards of education continue to fall and teachers keep embarking on several indefinite strikes because the government has always failed to cater to their needs.
While education remains in the crucible, tacit efforts are being made by some to make education attractive and rewarding. For instance, the Learn Africa award programme recognises and honours distinguished National Examination Council (NECO) candidates, schools and teachers across the country.
According to the chairman of the organisation, Emeke Iwerebon, the yearly Learn Africa-NECO Excellence Awards for students, teachers, and schools at the senior secondary level’s objective was to underscore the importance of excellence in education to national development, as well as encourage hard work, diligent scholarship, and healthy competition among students, teachers and schools.”
As a handful of corporate institutions and individuals continue to show interest in education, some have wondered what has happened to various scholarship programmes instituted by the federal government, banks and oil companies.
Even though many are asking why students are not taking good advantage of these opportunities? The response is not far-fetched.
Accessing such scholarships requires rigour and brilliance; not so much to do with displaying raw talent, or no talent at all, to win big in sports or entertainment.
Only recently, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) called on the Federal Government to urgently review the cash reward to brilliant students in line with global best practices, stressing that anything short of this would amount to undermining the dignity of Nigerian students and further discouraging academic pursuit in a country already battling a collapsing education sector.
The association stated that the disparity highlighted how Nigeria prioritises sports over intellectual achievements.
“This government has once again demonstrated that it places no premium on education. When it comes to sports, millions of dollars are spent to celebrate victories, but when our students put Nigeria on the global map through knowledge, they are handed peanuts,” the union lamented.
Similarly, an education Consultant, Dr Anthony Oduba, insisted that Nafisa should be honoured with $100,000, a three-bedroom flat, and the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), similar to rewards recently given to members of the Super Falcons and D’Tigress.
Oduba added that her English teacher also deserves a reward similar to the one given to the coaching and technical team of the football and basketball players.
“We must continue to take education very seriously and reward the efforts of our citizens,” he stated.
Rewarding sportsmen has its worth
A former Super Eagles Captain, Sylvanus Okpalla, is of the opinion that rewarding sportsmen “adequately” sends a signal to younger athletes that the country recognises their efforts and is ready to celebrate every honour that they bring for the nation.
Okpala, who got a house in Festac Town, Lagos, and a car from the Federal Government when the Eagles won the 1980 African Cup of Nations, said that the gesture by the Shehu Shagari-led government lured many young men to football because they witnessed what happened to the heroes of 1980.
“It was quite amazing for a secondary school leaver to own a Peugeot 504 car, a house and a national honour (MON), plus other gifts from individuals and corporate bodies,” said “Quicksilver,” who also emphasised that the rewards they got were a clear signal that Nigeria was ready to treat its athletes as national treasures.
Without word-mincing, a former Vasco Dagama FC of Enugu star, Theodore Chukwuemeka, said that it is wrong to compare the rewards sportsmen get with what other professionals are given.
Chukwuemeka, a sports scientist, said that individuals with unique talents and skills are rare and are well rewarded for such gifts.
He said: “Talented sportsmen, like musicians and gifted scientists, earn higher rewards for such talents in communities that appreciate their roles…So, the disparity between rewards for sportsmen and some other professionals is a global phenomenon. Even in Europe, sportsmen earn more than the presidents of countries. These countries willingly reward the sportsmen because they play important diplomatic roles for them.
“Can anybody quantify the mileage in terms of goodwill the country will get when a Nigerian wins an Olympic gold medal or sets a world record, as Tobi Amusan did a while ago? When the Dream Team won Africa’s Olympic gold medal in football, it resonated across the world. So, when a grateful country rewards these stars, it should not be subjected to such debates as we witnessed when President Bola Tinubu hosted the Super Falcons.”
He pointed out that excellence in sports requires intense dedication, rigorous training, and significant personal sacrifices, adding that it has a short lifespan. “On retirement, most sportsmen live on what they earned in their active days; they don’t have any pension on retirement. This is unlike other professions where workers are paid a pension for life on retirement,” he added.
Rather than criticising the Federal Government for the rewards to sportsmen, Chukwuemeka urged stakeholders to advocate a system that rewards Nigerians with special talents.
“Anybody who does exceptionally well in any discipline that helps to make society better deserves to be rewarded for their contribution to society. Students who excel in science or mathematics should be encouraged and helped to reach the highest they desire to attain.
“There are so many other ways of rewarding excellence in other professions, but comparing what obtains in different callings begs the question.”
Towards a national standard for excellence, and all
Speaking on the disparities in government’s reward for ingenuity, the Chairman, Mobile Software Solutions, Nigeria, Chris Uwaje, said that Nigeria is a scientifically gifted nation, going by the immense competencies and abilities of its citizens (as demonstrated all over the world), “but the nation is not built nor governed by scientific principles. That is why we adore economic consumerism rather than a science-based and research-enabled production development strategy. The latter can only be attained by prioritising a Merit-first mechanism – especially the governance and leadership levels.”
Aligning with Uwaje, the Managing Director/CEO, New Horizons Technology, Tim Akano, said in Nigeria, there is no well-coordinated reward system, saying everything is done based on the whims and caprices of the President at any point in time.
Akano said the recognition that people in ICT need is a special long-term innovation loan to finance their projects, emphasising that what is killing innovation in Nigeria is the lack of cheap funds to work with, as taking loans at 40 per cent is killing the industry.
“Even if you give people in the tech ecosystem recognition for their innovation, and there is no way to convert their innovation to tangible products, it means nothing to them. So, the government should review the reward system and come up with a standard reward system for everything we consider worthy of rewards. It should not be as the spirit leads,” he stated.
