FG Rewards Ogun Teacher With ₦50m As Tinubu Govt Moves To Elevate Teaching Profession
The Federal Government has honoured an Ogun State primary school teacher, Mr Francis Taiwo Solanke, with a ₦50 million cash prize as Overall Best Teacher of the Year.
Solanke, who teaches at Ansar-ud-Deen Primary School in Ogun State, topped a field of finalists drawn from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory and was decorated on Tuesday at the maiden National Teachers’ Summit 2026 held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Twelve other teachers, identified through a merit-based national selection process, each received ₦25 million in recognition of their impact at both basic and senior secondary school levels.
First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who led top government officials to present the awards, hailed teachers as “the quiet architects of great nations, shaping young minds, instilling values and nurturing hope.” She said education under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda “remains an essential pillar of national development, with a clear recognition that sustainable development begins with quality teaching and learning.”
Tinubu pledged sustained investment in teachers’ welfare and professional development, stressing that “meaningful education and national progress can only be achieved when teachers are adequately equipped, motivated and supported.” She recalled her own background as a classroom teacher, noting that her “regard for teachers” is rooted in first-hand experience of the demands of the profession.
In a gesture that added a state-level dimension to the federal reward, Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, donated a car to Solanke, while Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, offered him a house for consistently bringing honour to the state. Solanke had earlier been recognised as Ogun State’s Best Primary School Teacher for 2025.
Education Minister, Dr Olatunji Alausa, said the new awards regime is designed to restore dignity to teaching and to publicly affirm it as a noble and valued profession in Nigeria. “Nigerian teachers are no longer an afterthought; they are the strategy,” he declared, adding that “the teaching profession matters, and the future of our country begins in the classroom.”
Alausa explained that three outstanding teachers were nominated from each state and the FCT at both basic and senior secondary levels, after which twelve national finalists emerged through a “rigorous and independent selection process.” “These educators represent the very best of the profession: professionalism, integrity, innovation and unwavering commitment to learners,” he said. “In recognition of their impact, each of the twelve awardees will receive ₦25 million, while the overall Best Teacher of the Year will receive ₦50 million.”
He also used the summit to launch the EduRevamp Portal, which the First Lady described as a platform that would ensure continuous professional development for teachers and improve learning outcomes nationwide. Alausa said empowering teachers requires continuous learning that reflects Nigerian realities, dignity in service, clear career progression and fairness in reward.
Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, described the National Teachers’ Summit as a strategic platform to strengthen the teaching profession and improve learning outcomes. She said the summit brings together teachers, policymakers, regulators, unions, development partners and the private sector “for honest dialogue, shared learning and collective action” on practical, scalable reforms.
President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Titus Amba, welcomed the cash rewards and commended the Federal Ministry of Education for convening the summit. He also lauded the Federal Government for restoring the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) to the government funding list.
The 2026 National Teachers’ Summit had the theme “Empowering Teachers, Strengthening the System: A National Agenda for Education Transformation and Sustainability.”
