Aiyedatiwa dedicates ‘Best Governor in Education Award’ to Ondo teachers
By Julius Alabi, Akure
The Ondo State Governor, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has dedicated the Best Governor in Education Award conferred on him by the Federal Government to teachers in the state, promising to improve their welfare and create better working conditions for them.
Aiyedatiwa received the Special Recognition Award from the Federal Ministry of Education at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Commemoration held on Monday at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
The governor, while accepting the award, expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Education, Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, and other stakeholders for the recognition.
He described teachers as the foundation of the state’s educational development, saying their daily sacrifices, often made away from public attention, had continued to shape the future of Ondo State.
Aiyedatiwa, who disclosed that he was once a teacher, said the experience had deepened his understanding of the responsibility involved in standing before young minds and making knowledge meaningful to them.
He said education remained a long-term investment in the character, capacity and productive strength of the people, adding that the commitment was central to his administration’s seven-pillar OUR EASE development agenda.
According to him, his administration had prioritised access to quality education, improved learning environments, strengthened the teaching profession and prepared students for the demands of a rapidly changing world.
The governor disclosed that over 2,100 teachers were recruited into primary and secondary schools in 2025, while the government had continued to support professional development through digital, pedagogical and climate-smart instructional training.
He said 43 new classroom blocks were constructed in 2025 at a cost of about N3.1 billion, while 75 schools were completely renovated. He added that 8,500 learners’ furniture and 1,200 teachers’ furniture were also procured.
Aiyedatiwa said learning materials worth more than N150 million had been distributed across the three senatorial districts, while computer textbooks were supplied to students in all 18 local government areas.
Beyond basic and secondary education, the governor said his administration had approved the establishment of a College of Nursing at Igbokoda and a College of Education at Aboto to expand opportunities for professional and teacher education.
He added that teachers’ salaries and allowances had been paid regularly, while government was also addressing inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired public servants, with retired teachers among the beneficiaries.
Aiyedatiwa further disclosed that N633.9 million was spent on the 2026 WAEC registration of 23,048 students in public schools, while N350 million and N400 million were committed to bursary and scholarship support in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
The governor said his administration was also embracing digital education through partnerships, including the deployment of AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and structured literacy programmes, while tablets and laptops were being provided to support digital learning and prepare teachers and students for emerging technologies.
He said the theme of the celebration, “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World”, underscored the need to give teachers the tools, environment, dignity and opportunities required to perform effectively.
“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.
In his address, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described teachers as among the most important people in society, stressing that their contribution to educating Nigerian children and youths remained crucial to the country’s future.
Alausa said teachers deserved opportunities for professional development and recognition, particularly as technology and artificial intelligence continued to transform the learning environment.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said the welfare and retention of teachers remained a priority of the Federal Government, stressing that teachers deserved good preparation, adequate teaching materials, fair treatment, safety, career progression and respect.
The National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Titus Amba, represented by the Deputy National President, Comrade Kizito Kalu, called for increased investment in teachers, saying the status accorded teachers reflected the value a nation placed on its future.
Amba urged governments to move “from celebration to action, from promises to implementation and from recognition to sustained investment.”
The event was attended by the Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Head of Service, Chief Segun Odusanya; Commissioner for Education, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Seun Osamaye;
Others are Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Adesoji Afolabi; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN; Special Adviser on Public and Intergovernmental Relations, Princess Kikelomo Ikuomola; APC State Chairman, Hon Kolawole Babatunde, among other dignitaries.
