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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja and Oluseye Ojo
Mary Adebayo, a teacher at Nawair-Ud-Deen Grammar School Senior, Obantoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has emerged Nigeria’s overall best teacher for 2026, as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) demanded implementation of a special salary scale it said had remained outstanding for four years.
The recognition came as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidates in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli and Olooye Adegboyega Adegoke, called for stronger support for teachers, with Alli promising an enhanced welfare package within his first 100 days if elected in 2027.
Adebayo received a new car at the President’s Teachers and Schools’ Excellence Awards during Monday’s World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja.
Gloria Nkolika Odionu of Awada Primary School IV, Obosi, Anambra State, received a car as the overall best administrator, while Federal Government College, Otobi, won a bus as the overall best school. Abraham Nnaluka Ngobir of Federal Government College, Enugu, also received a car as the best Unity School teacher.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, presented the awards on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, commending the recipients and urging greater commitment to educating the younger generation.
NUT President, Titus Amba, represented by his deputy, Kizito Kalu, said recognition must be matched with decent remuneration, safe workplaces, adequate teaching resources and continuous professional development.
“We, therefore, insist that teachers are not mere implements of education policies, but critical agents of social and economic transformation; they are not only purveyors of knowledge and values but nation builders that should be accorded their rightful status and pride of place in society.”
Amba said the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari approved a special salary scale for basic and secondary school teachers in 2022, alongside other welfare packages.
“Unfortunately, four years after the approvals, implementation has not commenced. We therefore renew our call on government to set machinery in motion for actualization of the new salary regime for teachers in order to boost their morale and enhance their dignity. A motivated teacher is an asset to national development.”
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He warned that overcrowded classrooms, poor infrastructure, inadequate furniture and instructional materials undermined teachers’ performance, while prolonged failure by some states to recruit had worsened shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
The union demanded recruitment of professionally qualified teachers, retention incentives, sustained infrastructure investment and regular training to meet changing classroom and societal demands.
In Oyo, Alli pledged improved car and housing loans, rural hardship allowances and a teachers’ housing and mortgage scheme, alongside clearance of promotion, transfer and secondment backlogs through digital tracking.
He also promised faster pension and gratuity processing, annual excellence awards, training in digital skills and artificial intelligence, specialised recruitment for early-childhood and special-needs education, and incentives for underserved schools.
His proposals included school security, support and insurance for teachers affected by insecurity, timely running grants, classroom rehabilitation, water and sanitation facilities, and solar-powered ICT laboratories.
Alli promised to tackle the estimated 674,000 out-of-school children through community mobilisation, incentives and public tracking, while implementing an “Oyo Teachers First Compact” with measurable welfare, security, training and learning targets in partnership with education unions.
“Our teachers deserve more than applause; they deserve a government that respects their sacrifices, protects their lives, rewards excellence and provides the tools required to teach effectively,” he said.
Adegoke praised teachers’ resilience, saying their responsibilities extended beyond imparting knowledge to moulding character, nurturing potential and inspiring lifelong learning.
“Your passion, sacrifice, and devotion to your profession are not only invaluable but also critical to the success of our education system and the development of our nation.”
He urged government, parents and communities to strengthen support for teachers, give them a stronger voice and provide the conditions needed to deliver their best, describing a motivated teaching workforce as essential to a brighter future for Oyo State and Nigeria.
