By Ade Oyeyemi
The Federal Government has recognised Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, with a Special Recognition Award for his administration’s contributions to the education sector.
Aiyedatiwa received the award on Monday at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day commemoration held at Eagle Square, Abuja, where he was recognised as the Best Governor in Education.
The governor dedicated the honour to teachers across Ondo State, praising their sacrifices and contribution to the development of the state.
Speaking after receiving the award, Aiyedatiwa thanked the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, and other stakeholders for the recognition.
The governor, who disclosed that he was once a teacher, said his experience in the profession had shaped his understanding of the responsibility involved in educating young people.
He said education remained a long-term investment in the human capital and productive capacity of the state, adding that it was central to his administration’s seven-point OUR EASE development agenda.
Aiyedatiwa said his administration had prioritised access to quality education, teacher development, improved learning environments and the use of technology in schools.
According to him, more than 2,100 teachers were recruited into primary and secondary schools in 2025, while existing teachers received professional development in digital skills, pedagogy, climate-smart instruction and quality assurance.
He said 43 new classroom blocks were constructed in 2025 at a cost of about N3.1bn, while 75 schools were completely renovated.
The governor added that the government also procured 8,500 learners’ furniture and 1,200 teachers’ furniture, alongside textbooks, sporting equipment and other instructional materials.
He said learning resources worth more than N150m were distributed across the three senatorial districts, while computer textbooks were supplied to learners in the state’s 18 local government areas.
Aiyedatiwa said his administration had also approved the establishment of a College of Nursing in Igbokoda and a College of Education in Aboto to expand access to professional and teacher education.
On teachers’ welfare, the governor said salaries and allowances had been paid regularly, while his administration was addressing inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired public servants, including many former teachers.
“This is not merely a fulfilment of an obligation; it is a message to those still in service that government remembers their sacrifice and that their future is secure,” he said.
He further disclosed that the state government spent N633.9m in 2026 to register 23,048 public school students for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, while candidates sitting for NABTEB examinations were also sponsored.
According to the governor, N350m was committed to bursaries and scholarships for tertiary students in 2025, while the figure increased to N400m in 2026.
He added that the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission also provided N286.7m in bursaries to 4,837 students.
Aiyedatiwa said the government had continued to reward outstanding academic performances, including students who excelled in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and those who performed well in national and international competitions.
He also highlighted the administration’s push for digital education through partnerships, including its collaboration with EIDU, which introduced AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and literacy programmes.
The governor said thousands of tablets had been deployed under digital literacy initiatives, while laptops were being provided to digitally trained teachers to prepare them for emerging fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence.
Speaking on the theme of the celebration, “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World,” Aiyedatiwa said teachers must be given adequate tools, conducive working environments, dignity and opportunities for continuous development.
“If we truly desire a knowledge-driven society, we must give teachers the tools to teach, the environment to work, the dignity they deserve and the opportunity to continually renew their knowledge,” he said.
He described teachers as the foundation of the state’s educational system and said their impact extended beyond individual pupils to families and communities.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, described teachers as critical to Nigeria’s future, stressing the need for continuous professional development and recognition of their contributions.
Alausa said emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, were transforming education and could assist teachers in improving learning outcomes.
The Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said teacher welfare and retention remained priorities for the Federal Government.
She noted that teachers were increasingly expected to equip pupils with foundational skills, adapt to diverse learning needs and embrace new technologies.
“Those expectations are reasonable. So is a teacher’s expectation of good preparation, useful material, fair treatment, safety, timely career progression and respect,” she said.
Also speaking, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Titus Amba, represented by the Deputy National President, Kizito Kalu, said the condition of teachers reflected the value a country placed on its future.
Amba urged the government to move beyond celebrating teachers to sustained investment in their welfare and working conditions.
He said, “from celebration to action, from promises to implementation and from recognition to sustained investment” should guide efforts to improve the teaching profession.
The event was attended by senior Ondo State government officials, political leaders, members of the state House of Assembly and education stakeholders, among others.
