Nigerian Breweries Plc, on Tuesday in Lagos, announced the commencement of submission of entries for this year’s edition of its Teacher-of-the-Year (MToY) award competition.
The annual award, now in its 11th edition, is aimed at identifying, as in previous years, the best and most exemplary teachers in both public and private secondary schools nationwide for reward and celebration.
Interestingly, the grand prize winner of the award will receive ₦10 million in cash, while the first and second runners-up will receive ₦5 million and ₦3 million respectively. Additionally, all the state champions will receive ₦1 million each for their efforts.
The Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, the organiser and sponsor of the competition, Mr Hans Essaadi, announced the commencement of the competition at a press conference, noting that the 11-year-old initiative has had a tremendous impact on teachers, the teaching profession, and Nigeria’s education sector at large.
Represented by the Corporate Affairs Director of NB Plc, Mr Uzo Odenigbo, the managing director explained that the MToY award is an initiative of the company’s social arm, the Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, and that participation is voluntary and free of charge.
He further stated that, in addition to the cash prize, the overall winner would receive a plaque and certificate, as well as an all-expenses-paid overseas short-course training. Furthermore, the winner’s school would be entitled to a block of six classrooms or another priority project in recognition of its contribution.
He said all winners would be unveiled at the grand finale and award night to be held in Lagos in November.
Providing further insight into the competition, its history, entry process, and criteria, the Sustainability and CSR Manager of the company, Mr Seye Ologun, stated that although the competition is free to enter, participating teachers must be certified by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) and must not be older than 55 years.
He noted that a total of 278 teachers have participated in the competition so far, with 10 grand prize winners emerging since its inception nationwide, and expressed hope for even greater participation this year.
He thanked all co-sponsors of the competition, including Union Bank Plc, Air Peace, FCMB, among others, for their support, noting that the partnership has been impactful.
He urged interested teachers to begin submitting their entries, either physically or online via the dedicated website, www.maltinateacheroftheyear.com, from Tuesday until Friday, 22 August, which is the closing date.
In their separate remarks, the Registrar of TRCN, Ronke Soyombo, represented by the Lagos Coordinator of the Council, Mrs Adaobi Ekwuno, and the representative of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Akintoye Hassan, who is the Chairman of the Lagos chapter of the union, described the initiative as rewarding for both teachers and the teaching profession in the country.
They emphasised that investing in the education sector, and in human capital in particular, is the best way for Nigeria to achieve economic greatness.
The NUT Lagos Chairman, however, appealed to NB and co-sponsors to include primary school teachers in the competition, stating that their inclusion, as teachers at the foundational level, would serve the best interests of the country.
Sharing his testimonial at the event via Zoom, the current champion, Ifecchukwu Esomnofu, a Nasarawa-based teacher, commended Nigerian Breweries for the initiative, saying the award has added great value not only to him and other grand prize winners but also to the teaching profession and society at large.
He remarked that teaching is not about earning a living, but about having a strong passion for humanity and emotional stability to impart knowledge, regardless of the challenges.
Past winners of the award include: Rose Nkemdilim Obi (2015), Imoh Essien (2016), Felix Ariguzo (2017), Olasunkanmi Opeifa (2018), Ezem Collins (2019), Oluwabunmi Anani (2020), Abanika Taiye (2021), Alaku Ayiwulu (2022), Adeola Adefemi (2023), and Ifecchukwu Esomnofu (2024).
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