The Federal Government on Tuesday provided handsome cash rewards to some outstanding teachers across the country, rendering nugatory the common saying that “a teacher’s reward is in heaven”.
The overall Best Teacher of the Year nationwide, Mr Francis Taiwo Solanke, received a cheque of ₦50 million, while twelve other awardees smiled home with ₦25 million each, in recognition of their outstanding performance and impact in their various schools and across their states.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, led other top government functionaries to present the awards to the recipients at the maiden edition of the National Teachers’ Summit 2026, held on Tuesday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The summit had the theme, “Empowering Teachers, Strengthening the System: A National Agenda for Education Transformation and Sustainability”.
The Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, who announced the awardees, said the awards were more than a reward, but a national signal that teaching is a noble, respected and valued profession in Nigeria.
At the momentous event, the Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, donated a car to Mr Solanke for emerging as the overall best teacher in Nigeria, while his Ogun State counterpart, Governor Dapo Abiodun, donated a house to the overall winner for consistently doing the state proud.
Francis Solanke, an educator who teaches at Ansar-ud-Deen Primary School, Ogun State, was also recognised as the best teacher in the primary school category for Ogun State in 2025.
Speaking, the wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, described teachers as the quiet architects of great nations, shaping young minds, instilling values and nurturing hope.
She maintained that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, education remains an essential pillar of national development, with a clear recognition that sustainable development begins with quality teaching and learning.
She affirmed the commitment of the administration to sustained investment in teachers’ welfare, professional development and the skills needed to prepare learners for a rapidly changing world.
“Meaningful education and national progress can only be achieved when teachers are adequately equipped, motivated and supported. As an educationist and lifelong teacher, I understand first-hand the demands of teaching and the enduring impact of teachers in shaping societies.
“My work in supporting education and my regard for teachers are a result of my experience as a former classroom teacher,” she said.
