Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has received a Federal Ministry of Education Special Recognition Award, with the Ondo State Government describing the honour as the Best Governor in Education award.

Aiyedatiwa received the recognition on Monday at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Commemoration and President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards at Eagle Square, Abuja.

The recognition comes as Ondo State highlights a series of interventions in teacher recruitment, school infrastructure, examination funding, tertiary student support and the introduction of digital learning tools.

The Federal Government’s President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards programme says its selection process involves nominations, assessment against approved criteria and final approval before winners are announced at the World Teachers’ Day ceremony.

From classrooms to digital learning

Aiyedatiwa said his administration recruited more than 2,100 teachers into public primary and secondary schools in 2025.

He also cited professional development programmes covering digital and pedagogical training, climate-smart instruction and quality assurance.

On school infrastructure, the governor said 43 new classroom blocks were constructed in 2025 at a cost of about N3.1 billion, while 75 schools were completely renovated.

The government also procured 8,500 learners’ furniture and 1,200 teachers’ furniture, alongside textbooks, sports equipment and other learning materials.

According to Aiyedatiwa, learning resources worth more than N150 million were distributed across Ondo’s three senatorial districts, while computer textbooks were provided to learners across the state’s 18 local government areas.

The figures form the core of the administration’s case for the recognition, although the award itself is a recognition by the Federal Ministry rather than an independent assessment of every aspect of the state’s education system.

The money behind access to education

The governor also highlighted spending aimed at reducing the financial burden on families.

He said the state paid N633.9 million for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination registration of 23,048 students in public schools, while National Business and Technical Examinations Board examinations were fully sponsored.

For tertiary students, Aiyedatiwa said the government committed N350 million to bursary and scholarship support in 2025 and N400 million in 2026.

He added that the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission provided N286.7 million in bursaries to 4,837 students.

The figures are significant because examination and education-related costs can determine whether students from lower-income households remain in school or complete key stages of their education.

Teachers’ welfare remains a key test

Aiyedatiwa dedicated the recognition to teachers across Ondo State and said his experience as a former teacher had influenced his approach to education.

“This honour is gratefully accepted, not as a personal award, but as a tribute to the teachers of Ondo State,” he said.

The governor said teachers in urban centres, communities and difficult circumstances deserved recognition for work that often received little public attention.

“Your work is foundational. Your influence is often invisible, but its significance is enduring,” he said.

He also said teachers’ salaries and allowances had been paid regularly, while the government was addressing inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired public servants, including retired teachers.

“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,” Aiyedatiwa said.

His comments come against a wider national debate over teachers’ welfare. At the 2026 World Teachers’ Day events, the Nigeria Union of Teachers called for a shift from commitments to implementation and sustained investment in the profession.

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AI enters Ondo classrooms

Another part of the governor’s education agenda is the move towards digital learning.

Aiyedatiwa said the state’s partnership with EIDU had introduced AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and structured literacy programmes.

He said thousands of tablets had also been deployed in public schools, while laptops were being provided to digitally trained teachers as part of preparations for robotics, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

The Federal Ministry of Education has itself placed technology and professional transformation at the centre of its 2026 education agenda, including innovation, mobility, artificial intelligence, inclusion and professional excellence.

For Ondo, the challenge will be ensuring that digital tools complement rather than replace the fundamentals of education — qualified teachers, functioning classrooms, learning materials and reliable access to schools.

New institutions planned

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.

He said the initiatives were intended to expand opportunities for professional training and teacher education.

In August, the governor also approved a 60 per cent increase in monthly subventions to state-owned tertiary institutions and the implementation of the Federal Government-unions agreement covering relevant state institutions.

What the Federal Government said

Education Minister Tunji Alausa described teachers as among the most important people in society, stressing their role in preparing Nigerian children and young people for the future.

He said teachers needed opportunities for professional development and recognition as technology and artificial intelligence continued to change the learning environment.

The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said teacher welfare and retention remained priorities for the Federal Government.

“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.

The National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Titus Amba, represented at the event by Deputy National President Kizito Kalu, said the status given to teachers reflected the value a country placed on its future.

He called for a move “from celebration to action, from promises to implementation and from recognition to sustained investment”.

Why the award matters

The recognition gives national visibility to Ondo State’s education interventions, but its longer-term significance will depend on whether the investments translate into better learning conditions and outcomes for pupils and teachers.

For Aiyedatiwa, the award is an endorsement of an education strategy built around recruitment, infrastructure, welfare, access and technology.

For teachers and learners, however, the more immediate question is whether those investments can be sustained and expanded across the state.

Aiyedatiwa said the objective was bigger than the award itself.

“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.

“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 added.

The Press Society (TPS) has called for greater investment in teachers as education systems adapt to artificial intelligence, digital learning and rapidly changing access to information.

In a World Teachers’ Day message, the media organisation said technology may be transforming how knowledge is delivered, but teachers remain central to helping learners understand, develop confidence and navigate the world around them.

TPS made the call as teachers in Nigeria, Africa and other parts of the world mark World Teachers’ Day 2026.

Beyond the classroom

The organisation described teachers as an often-overlooked force behind the development of professionals and leaders across different sectors.

“Every doctor, engineer, journalist, scientist, entrepreneur, leader, artist and professional once sat before a teacher,” TPS said.

It noted that the influence of teachers extends beyond lessons and examinations, particularly when educators encourage students who may be struggling academically or personally.

TPS also acknowledged teachers working in difficult environments, including crowded classrooms, rural communities and conflict-affected areas where access to educational resources may be limited.

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Why teachers still matter in the AI era

The growing use of artificial intelligence and digital learning tools has changed access to information, but TPS argued that information alone cannot replace the human relationship at the heart of education.

“In an age of artificial intelligence, digital learning and instant access to information, one thing remains uniquely human: the ability to inspire, understand, guide and believe in another person,” the organisation said.

The statement places renewed attention on the distinction between access to information and education itself.

While technology can help learners find information quickly, teachers continue to play a role in helping students interpret information, build character, develop critical thinking and recognise their own potential.

Call for better conditions for teachers

TPS also used the occasion to call on governments and wider society to improve the conditions under which teachers work.

It said teachers should receive the “respect, protection, resources, remuneration and professional support” necessary to perform their roles effectively.

The call is particularly relevant to teachers working with limited resources, where challenges such as overcrowded classrooms and inadequate learning materials can affect both educators and students.

For TPS, recognising teachers should therefore go beyond annual tributes and celebrations to include sustained institutional support.

A message to teachers

The organisation praised teachers who arrive early, stay late, use personal resources to support learners and patiently repeat lessons until students understand.

It also highlighted educators who identify potential in children who may have lost confidence in themselves.

“Your work may not always make the news, but generations are living proof of your impact,” TPS said.

The organisation described teaching as a profession whose influence can continue long after students leave the classroom.

The wider significance

World Teachers’ Day offers an opportunity to consider not only what teachers do for students but also what societies owe the people responsible for educating future generations.

As schools increasingly incorporate digital tools and AI into learning, TPS’s message places teachers at the centre of the conversation about how education should evolve without losing its human dimension.

The Press Society concluded its message by thanking teachers for “teaching minds”, “shaping character”, “nurturing dreams” and “building generations”.

Happy World Teachers’ Day 2026.

The Lagos State Police Command has intensified its preventive campaign against cultism, drug abuse and other social vices by engaging about 400 students of the Police Children School, Ikeja, on the consequences of the choices they make as young people.

The engagement, organised by the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, placed emphasis on early intervention, responsible behaviour and the importance of seeking help when young people encounter threats, peer pressure or other troubling situations.

With the theme “Right Choices, Great Future,” the programme sought to equip students with information and guidance aimed at helping them avoid behaviours that could undermine their education and future prospects.

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Why the police are engaging students early

Rather than limiting anti-cultism efforts to enforcement, the Lagos Command’s approach includes educating young people before they become involved in criminal or harmful activities.

The police said early engagement can help students understand the risks associated with cultism, drug and substance abuse, negative peer influence and other social vices while encouraging them to develop positive values.

Speaking during the programme, POCACOV member Henry Bassey urged the students to remain law-abiding and maintain open communication with their parents, teachers and other trusted adults.

He particularly encouraged students facing threats or troubling experiences to speak up rather than dealing with such situations alone.

Mental health expert warns about substance abuse

The programme also brought a health perspective to the discussion, with Dr Hezekiah Akinlade, a mental health expert from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), educating the students on the dangers associated with drug and substance abuse.

Akinlade urged the students to resist negative peer pressure and make choices that support their wellbeing.

The inclusion of a mental health expert highlights the broader consequences of substance abuse, which can affect young people’s health, relationships, education and decision-making.

Police urge students to choose friends carefully

The POCACOV Coordinator in Lagos State, SP Olivia A. Ugochukwu, who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, urged the students to remain focused on their education.

She advised them to choose their friends carefully, respect their parents and teachers, obey the law and avoid behaviours that could jeopardise their future.

The Command said the programme forms part of its preventive strategy for tackling cultism, drug abuse and other social vices through early engagement and positive value formation among young people.

The bigger picture

For students, the message extends beyond avoiding cult groups or drugs. It also places emphasis on the everyday decisions that can influence their relationships, education and interaction with the law.

The police campaign therefore positions parents, teachers and other trusted adults as important points of support for young people who encounter pressure, threats or difficult situations.

The Lagos Command did not indicate whether the programme would be extended to other schools or provide details of a follow-up programme for the students.

However, the engagement reflects an effort to complement policing and enforcement with prevention, particularly among children and adolescents who may be vulnerable to peer influence.