FG, Ogun Reward Nigeria’s Best Teacher with Car, House

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The federal government and the Ogun State Government have rewarded Nigeria’s Best Teacher for 2025 Session, Mr. Solanke Taiwo, with a brand new car and a two-bedroom bungalow respectively.

Solanke, who is a primary school teacher at Ansa-Ur-Deen Main School I, Kemta Lawa, Abeokuta, was presented with his prizes by Governor Dapo Abiodun at a ceremony, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

The teacher had earlier received a cash award of N50 million from the federal government at the National Teachers’ Summit in Abuja in recognition of his outstanding performance and dedication to education.

Abiodun handed over the car keys to the award-winning teacher at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in the presence of the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbagbu, and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Oloko.

The governor disclosed that the two-bedroom bungalow would be allocated to Solanke in any location of his choice under the State Housing Scheme.

Abiodun also reiterated his administration’s commitment to continuous training and retraining of teachers through workshops, seminars, digitisation initiatives, and AI-powered teaching platforms.

Speaking in an interview, Arigbagbu described the feat as a confirmation of the governor’s sustained investment in education and the impact of ongoing reforms in the sector.

He said, “When you do things consistently and efficiently, you will definitely continue to get results. We have been winning the Best Teacher Award back-to-back. This same teacher won in October and has now emerged as the overall best teacher in Nigeria.”

He attributed the achievement to the Ogun State Education Revitalisation Agenda, built on six pillars, with the last pillar focusing on students’ and teachers’ welfare.

“This administration has done so much across all the pillars. The declaration of emergency in the education sector led to far-reaching reforms covering curriculum development, school management, technology and innovation, infrastructure, funding, and students’ and teachers’ welfare,” he added.

According to the commissioner, the consistent national recognition of Ogun teachers and students is evidence that the reforms are yielding tangible results.

“It shows that when we say someone has emerged as the best teacher, it is not by chance or manipulation. It confirms that the entire education sector has been revitalised.

“We will continue on this path until the end of this administration. Ogun State is number one in education, and we cannot afford to go backwards,” he said.

Highlighting the state’s performance in external competitions, Arigbagbu recalled Ogun’s dominance in the JETS competitions, where students from the state won 18 out of 24 available awards in one year, with a single student clinching nine of those awards.

He attributed the success to sustained attention to the sector over the past six years.

On the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sub-sector, he revealed that five states have indicated interest in understudying Ogun’s model, particularly in TVET and the digitisation of education.

He added that the federal government and the National Board for Technical Education have commended the state’s achievements.

The commissioner noted that the car gift was meant to encourage other teachers to give their best, assuring that excellence would always be recognised in due time

In his remarks, Solanke expressed gratitude to the governor for creating a conducive environment for teachers and learners, noting that the state’s heavy investment and reforms in education are clearly paying off.

“I feel excited and fulfilled. I appreciate our education-friendly governor for this great honour and for celebrating excellence, innovation, and transformational impact among teachers across the state.

“I promise to continue giving my best to make Ogun State proud and to collaborate with fellow educators to sustain the standard of excellence for which the state is known,” he said.

He encouraged fellow teachers to remain committed to changing narratives, rewriting the stories of their learners, and bringing out the best in every child entrusted to their care.