FG Honours Aiyedatiwa for Education Initiatives, Governor Dedicates Award to Ondo Teachers
The Federal Government has recognised the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, for his administration’s interventions in the education sector, presenting him with a Special Recognition Award at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja.
Aiyedatiwa received the award on Monday at the Eagle Square during the national celebration organised by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The governor dedicated the recognition to teachers across Ondo State, acknowledging their sacrifices and contributions to the development of education and human capital in the state.
In his acceptance speech, Aiyedatiwa expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, and other stakeholders for the recognition.
The governor, who disclosed that he was once a teacher, said his experience in the classroom had continued to shape his understanding of leadership and the responsibility of helping young people acquire knowledge and skills.
He said education remained a long-term investment in the character, capacity and productive strength of the people of Ondo State, adding that it was central to his administration’s seven-point OUR EASE development agenda.
According to him, his administration has prioritised access to education, improved learning conditions, professional development for teachers and the adoption of technology to prepare students for emerging opportunities.
Aiyedatiwa disclosed that more than 2,100 teachers were recruited into primary and secondary schools in 2025, while existing teachers had benefited from professional development programmes, including digital and pedagogical training, climate-smart instructional programmes and quality-assurance initiatives.
He also disclosed that 43 new classroom blocks were constructed in 2025 at a cost of about N3.1 billion, while 75 schools were completely renovated.
The governor said the government procured 8,500 learners’ furniture and 1,200 teachers’ furniture, in addition to sports equipment, textbooks and other learning materials.
He added that learning resources worth over N150 million were distributed across the three senatorial districts, while computer textbooks were supplied to learners in all 18 local government areas of the state.
According to him, the 2026 budget made further provisions for the construction and rehabilitation of basic schools, stressing that the development of the education sector was an ongoing process.
Beyond primary and secondary education, Aiyedatiwa 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 further said teachers’ salaries and allowances had been paid regularly, while the government was addressing inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired public servants, with retired teachers constituting a significant number of 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,” the governor said.
Aiyedatiwa also disclosed that the state government spent N633.9 million in 2026 to register 23,048 public school students for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), while the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations were also fully sponsored.
He said N350 million and N400 million were committed to bursary and scholarship support for tertiary institution students in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
The governor added that the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) provided N286.7 million in bursaries to 4,837 students.
He said his administration had also rewarded students who distinguished themselves academically, including those who excelled in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and national and international competitions.
On digital education, Aiyedatiwa said the state had entered into partnerships, including a collaboration with EIDU, through which AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and structured literacy programmes had been introduced.
He added that thousands of tablets had been deployed to public schools as part of digital literacy initiatives, while digitally trained teachers were being equipped with laptops in preparation for emerging areas 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”, the governor said teachers must be adequately supported to meet the demands of a changing educational environment.
“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 dedicated the award to teachers across Ondo State, including those working in urban centres, rural communities and difficult circumstances, describing their contributions as foundational to the development of the state.
“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, described teachers as critical to the future of Nigeria, stressing the need to provide them with opportunities for professional development and recognition.
Alausa said technology and artificial intelligence were transforming the learning environment and could support teachers in delivering better outcomes for children.
He identified stronger institutions, skills development, reliable data, improved teacher welfare and continuous professional development as areas requiring sustained attention.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said teacher welfare and retention remained priorities of the Federal Government.
She said teachers were increasingly expected to build foundational skills, address diverse learning needs, adopt new technologies and prepare young people for a rapidly 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 accorded teachers reflected the value a country placed on its future.
Amba called for increased investment in teachers, saying better schools could only be achieved alongside improved conditions for educators.
He urged stakeholders to move “from celebration to action, from promises to implementation and from recognition to sustained investment”.
Among those who attended the event were 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; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Adesoji Afolabi; and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN.
Others included Special Adviser to the Governor on Public and Intergovernmental Relations, Princess Kikelomo Ikuomola; APC State Chairman, Hon Kolawole Babatunde; members of the Ondo State House of Assembly; Senator Dayo Faduyile; Chief Pius Akinyelure; Mr Awodeyi Akinsehin Apata; Prince Femi Adekambi; Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan; and Mr Keneth Odusola, among others.
