Nigeria best teacher gets two-bedroom bungalow, car

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has rewarded Mr. Solanke Francis Taiwo, a primary school teacher at Ansa-Ur-Deen Main School I, Kemta Lawa, Abeokuta, with a two-bedroom bungalow.

The governor also presented him with the keys to a brand-new car donated by the Federal Government for emerging as the Overall Best Primary School Teacher in Nigeria for 2025/2026.

Mr. Solanke had earlier received a cash award of N50 million from the Federal Government at the National Teachers’ Summit in Abuja in recognition of his outstanding performance and dedication to education.

Abiodun handed over the car keys to the award-winning teacher at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in the presence of the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbagbu, and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Oloko.

The governor disclosed that the two-bedroom bungalow would be allocated to Solanke in any location of his choice under the State Housing Scheme.

Abiodun also reiterated his administration’s commitment to continuous training and retraining of teachers through workshops, seminars, digitisation initiatives, and AI-powered teaching platforms.

Speaking in an interview, Arigbagbu described the feat as a confirmation of the governor’s sustained investment in education and the impact of ongoing reforms in the sector.

“When you do things consistently and efficiently, you will definitely continue to get results. We have been winning the Best Teacher Award back-to-back. This same teacher won in October and has now emerged as the overall best teacher in Nigeria,” he said.

He attributed the achievement to the Ogun State Education Revitalisation Agenda, built on six pillars, with the last pillar focusing on students’ and teachers’ welfare.

“This administration has done so much across all the pillars. The declaration of emergency in the education sector led to far-reaching reforms covering curriculum development, school management, technology and innovation, infrastructure, funding, and students’ and teachers’ welfare,” he added.

According to the commissioner, the consistent national recognition of Ogun teachers and students is evidence that the reforms are yielding tangible results.

“It shows that when we say someone has emerged as the best teacher, it is not by chance or manipulation. It confirms that the entire education sector has been revitalised,” he said.

He encouraged other teachers to remain committed to changing narratives, rewriting the stories of their learners, and bringing out the best in every child entrusted to their care.