World Teachers’ Day: Oyebanji Rewards Outstanding Ekiti Teachers With N70.5m

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has disbursed N70.5 million to outstanding teachers across the 16 local government areas of the state as part of activities marking the 2026 World Teachers’ Day.

The awards and cash incentives were presented to deserving teachers at a ceremony held in Ado-Ekiti on Monday.

The celebration, which was themed, “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing Its Status and Shaping Our Futures,” brought together teachers, education stakeholders and government officials.

The beneficiaries were drawn from public primary and secondary schools, private schools and other administrative cadres within the education sector in recognition of their outstanding performance and commitment to duty.

Speaking at the event, Oyebanji commended teachers for their contributions to shaping the future of children and advancing the state’s education sector.

The governor said his administration had made significant investments in education over the past four years, adding that the interventions had attracted recognition from organisations within and outside the state.

He assured teachers that their welfare would remain a priority of his administration, promising a conducive working environment and payment of outstanding emoluments, particularly leave bonuses.

Responding to a request by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyebanji also announced plans to construct a modern state library, saying the project had been captured in the 2027 budget.

“I have listened to the leadership of NUT and let me disclose that we will be constructing a befitting state library next year. It has been captured in the 2027 budget,” the governor said.

Oyebanji listed some of the administration’s interventions in the education sector to include the provision of ICT laboratories and interactive boards in all 203 public secondary schools, 5KVA inverters and internet facilities in 125 schools.

He added that old school buildings had been renovated, while perimeter fencing had been provided for 54 public secondary schools.

According to him, CCTV cameras have also been installed in 48 public secondary schools, with another 85 schools expected to benefit from the project in October.

The governor said the government had also remained committed to regular payment of salaries as well as the provision of revolving car and housing loans for eligible secondary school teachers.

He disclosed that 5,530 teachers had been recruited into the state’s education system in the last four years.

The recruitment, he explained, comprised 430 teachers in 2022, 500 in 2023/2024, 1,600 in 2025/2026 under the Teaching Service Commission, and 1,500 each in 2022/2023 and 2026 under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Oyebanji also appealed to teachers to support the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu in 2027, saying continuity was necessary for the implementation of the administration’s Shared Prosperity agenda in Ekiti State.

Earlier, the state Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye, commended the governor for what she described as significant investment in education across all levels.

The state NUT Chairman, Lawrence Adedeji, and his counterpart in the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), represented by Austin Bamidele, also commended the governor for prioritising teachers’ welfare.

They, however, appealed to the government to settle all outstanding emoluments, stressing that the welfare and appreciation of teachers should extend beyond the annual World Teachers’ Day celebration.