…Governor dedicates award to teachers, unveils N31bn classroom investment
By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
ABUJA — The Federal Government has honoured Ondo State Governor, Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, with a Special Recognition Award for his administration’s interventions in the education sector
Aiyedatiwa received the award on Monday at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Commemoration and President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards held at Eagle Square, Abuja
Presenting the award, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, commended Ondo State’s efforts in improving teaching and learning infrastructure, student welfare and access to education
Aiyedatiwa, however, dedicated the honour to teachers across the state, describing their sacrifices as the foundation of the progress recorded in the sector
“I am deeply honoured to stand before you today as I receive this Special Recognition with humility, gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility,” the governor said
He added that the honour was “not as a personal award, but as a tribute to the teachers of Ondo State”
According to him, the recognition belonged to teachers who “carry the hopes of families, the aspirations of communities and in many respects, the future of our dear Sunshine State”
Aiyedatiwa, who taught before entering politics, said his classroom experience continued to shape his approach to governance
“Having been a teacher before, I know the classroom I know the responsibility it entails; standing before young minds and trying to make knowledge meaningful to them,” he said.
He disclosed that he deliberately returned to the classroom in March 2025 to teach, saying the move was intended to reaffirm that “the teaching profession remains at the flagship of the educational enterprise”
The governor said education remained a central pillar of his administration’s seven-point development agenda, known as the OUR EASE mantra
He said the state recruited more than 2,100 teachers into its primary and secondary schools in 2025, while expanding professional development, digital and pedagogical training, climate-smart instructional programmes and quality assurance
According to him, the administration constructed 43 classroom blocks at a cost of about N31 billion in 2025, while 75 schools underwent complete renovation.
The government also procured 8,500 learners’ furniture and 1,200 teachers’ furniture, alongside textbooks, sports equipment and other learning materials
Aiyedatiwa said learning resources worth more than N150 million were distributed across the three senatorial districts, while computer textbooks were supplied to learners in all 18 local government areas
To improve access to education, he said the government established and took over community secondary schools and introduced free shuttle buses and boats to address transportation challenges faced by students
The governor disclosed that N6339 million was paid for the registration of 23,048 public school students for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
He added that the state also fully sponsored candidates for National Business and Technical Examinations Board examinations
At the tertiary level, Aiyedatiwa said the government committed N350 million and N400 million to students’ bursary support in 2025 and 2026 respectively, while the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission provided N2867 million in bursaries to 4,837 students.
He said his administration was also preparing students and teachers for the demands of the digital economy through partnerships and investments in artificial intelligence, digital literacy and emerging technologies
According to him, collaborations with partners had introduced AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and structured literacy programmes, while thousands of tablets had been deployed in public schools
He added that computer laptops were being provided to digitally trained teachers as part of preparations for robotics, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies
The governor also cited the One Youth, One Skill initiative and O’datiwa Skills Development Enterprise Centres as programmes designed to equip young people with technical skills, entrepreneurship opportunities and alternatives to conventional employment
Aiyedatiwa said the theme of the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration, “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World,” reflected the challenges confronting the education sector
“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 serving across Ondo State, particularly those working in difficult circumstances and remote communities
“Your work is foundational Your influence is often invisible, but its significance is enduring,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa thanked the Federal Ministry of Education for the recognition, describing it as an incentive for his administration to deepen its investment in the education sector