Aiyedatiwa Clinches FG’s Best Governor In Education Award
Ondo State Governor, His Excellency, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, was on Monday honoured by the Federal Government as the Best Governor in Education in Nigeria.
Gov Aiyedatiwa received the Special Recognition Award from the Federal Ministry of Education at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Commemoration held at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
In his acceptance speech, the governor expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, and other stakeholders for making the celebration a worthy one.
He dedicated the honour to teachers across Ondo State, describing their daily sacrifices as foundational to the development of the state.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, who disclosed that he had previously been a teacher, said the experience remained an important part of his understanding of governance and the responsibility of standing before young minds to make knowledge meaningful to them.
According to him, education remains a long-term investment in the character, capacity and productive strength of the people of Ondo State, adding that the conviction is firmly embedded in his administration’s seven-pillar OUR EASE development agenda.
The governor said his administration had focused on expanding access, improving quality, strengthening the teaching profession, modernising learning environments and preparing young people for a rapidly changing future.
He disclosed that more than 2,100 teachers were recruited into primary and secondary schools in 2025, while the government continues to invest in professional development, including digital and pedagogical training, climate-smart instructional programmes and quality-assurance capacity.
Governor Aiyedatiwa said 43 new classroom blocks were constructed in 2025 at a cost of about N3.1 billion, while 75 schools underwent complete renovation.
He added that 8,500 learners’ furniture and 1,200 teachers’ furniture were procured, alongside sports equipment, textbooks and other learning materials.
According to him, learning resources worth more than N150 million were distributed across the three senatorial districts, while computer textbooks were provided to learners in all 18 local government areas.
He said the 2026 budget also provided for further construction and rehabilitation of basic schools, stressing that rebuilding education is a continuous process.
Beyond basic and secondary education, Governor Aiyedatiwa said his administration had approved the establishment of a College of Nursing at Igbokoda and a College of Education at Aboto, expanding opportunities for professional and teacher education.
The governor also said teachers’ salaries and allowances had been paid regularly, while the government continues to defray inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired public servants, with retired teachers constituting a significant proportion of the beneficiaries.
“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 disclosed that N633.9 million was paid in 2026 for WAEC registration of 23,048 students in public schools, while NABTEB examinations were also fully sponsored.
The governor said N350 million and N400 million were committed to bursary and scholarship support for tertiary students in 2025 and 2026 respectively, while OSOPADEC provided N286.7 million in bursaries to 4,837 students.
He said the government had also recognised outstanding academic performance, including students who excelled in the 2026 UTME and those who distinguished themselves in national and international competitions.
Governor Aiyedatiwa said his administration is embracing digital education through partnerships, including its collaboration with EIDU, which had introduced AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and structured literacy programmes.
He added that digital literacy initiatives had placed thousands of tablets in public schools, while computer laptops are being provided to digitally trained teachers as part of preparations for Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies.
The governor said the theme of the celebration, “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World”, spoke directly to the state’s experience.
“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.
Governor Aiyedatiwa dedicated the recognition to every teacher in Ondo State, including those in urban centres, communities and difficult circumstances and those whose quiet sacrifices might never make the headlines.
He described their work as foundational, saying their influence might often be invisible but its significance was enduring.
“When we educate a child, we do more than change one life. We strengthen a family, enlarge the possibilities of a community and increase the productive capacity of a State,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, in his address, described teachers as the most important people in society, saying their contribution to educating Nigerian children and youths was crucial to the country’s future.
Alausa said teachers in both public and private schools performed one of the most consequential responsibilities in society and deserved opportunities for professional development and recognition.
He said technology and artificial intelligence are changing the learning environment and could help teachers improve their work and better support children.
The minister identified stronger institutions, skills for a changing economy, reliable data contributions, improved teacher welfare and continuous professional development as important areas requiring attention.
In her welcome address, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said the welfare and retention of teachers remain a priority of the Federal Government.
She said teachers are now expected to build foundational skills, respond to different learning needs, use new technologies and prepare young people for a constantly changing world.
“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, Comrade Titus Amba, represented by the Deputy National President, Comrade Kizito Kalu, said the status of teachers reflects the value a nation places on its future.
Amba said if Nigeria wants better schools, it must invest in better conditions for teachers, while innovative learners require the empowerment of innovative teachers.
The NUT president called for a move “from celebration to action, from promises to implementation and from recognition to sustained investment”.
In attendance were Senator Dayo Faduyile, Secretary to the 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; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Adesoji Afolabi; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, SAN; Special Adviser to the Governor on Public and Intergovernmental Relations, Hon Princess Kikelomo Ikuomola; APC State Chairman, Hon Kolawole Babatunde, members of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Chief Pius Akinyelure, Mr. Awodeyi Akinsehin Apata, Prince Femi Adekambi, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan, Mr. Keneth Odusola, among others.
