Aiyedatiwa: Teachers need support, tools, respect
Teachers must be provided with the right tools, professional dignity and a conducive working environment if Nigeria is to achieve a knowledge-driven society, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said.
Aiyedatiwa made the call on Monday in Abuja while delivering his acceptance speech after receiving a Special Recognition Award at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Commemoration and President’s Teachers’ and Schools Excellence Awards held at Eagle Square.
*Lucky Aiyedatiwa
Nkereuwem Effiong
Teachers must be provided with the right tools, professional dignity and a conducive working environment if Nigeria is to achieve a knowledge-driven society, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said.
Aiyedatiwa made the call on Monday in Abuja while delivering his acceptance speech after receiving a Special Recognition Award at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Commemoration and President’s Teachers’ and Schools Excellence Awards held at Eagle Square.
The governor dedicated the award to teachers in Ondo State, describing them as the driving force behind the state’s educational achievements and broader societal development.
“This honour is accepted with gratitude, not as a personal award, but as a tribute to the teachers of Ondo State,” he said.
“Whatever progress we have made in education has been possible because of the men and women who enter our classrooms every day. They carry not only lesson plans and textbooks but also the hopes of families, the aspirations of communities and, in many ways, the future of our Sunshine State.”
Reflecting on his background as a teacher, Aiyedatiwa said the experience had continued to shape his approach to governance. He recalled returning to the classroom in March 2025, describing it as a valuable opportunity to reconnect with the realities facing educators.
“Having been a teacher, I understand the classroom and the responsibility that comes with standing before young minds and making knowledge meaningful. That experience remains an important part of my understanding of governance,” he said.
The governor said education remains a central pillar of his administration’s development agenda, with significant investments in teacher recruitment, professional development, infrastructure and access to learning.
According to him, over 2,100 teachers were recruited into public primary and secondary schools in 2025, while ongoing training programmes have enhanced teachers’ digital, pedagogical and professional skills.
He added that the state government constructed 43 classroom blocks in 2025 at a cost of about N3.1bn and fully renovated 75 schools across the state.
Aiyedatiwa also disclosed that 8,500 pieces of learners’ furniture and 1,200 items of furniture for teachers were procured, while learning materials worth more than N150m were distributed across the three senatorial districts.
He said computer textbooks had been distributed to schools in all 18 local government areas, with additional school construction and rehabilitation projects included in the 2026 budget.
On teachers’ welfare, the governor said the administration had maintained the regular payment of salaries and allowances while settling inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired public servants, including many retired teachers.
“This is not merely the fulfilment of an obligation. It is a message to those still in service that government recognises their sacrifices and remains committed to securing their future,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa further highlighted initiatives aimed at improving access to education, including free shuttle buses and boats for students, the payment of WAEC registration fees for public secondary school students and sponsorship of NABTEB examinations.
He revealed that N633.9m was spent on the registration of 23,048 students for the 2026 WAEC examinations, while N350m and N400m were allocated to support tertiary students in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
Addressing the evolving demands of education, the governor said traditional teaching methods alone could no longer adequately prepare learners for the future.
“The classroom of tomorrow cannot be built entirely with the tools of yesterday. That is why we are deliberately embracing digital education,” he said.
He noted that the state had introduced AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and literacy programmes through strategic partnerships, while thousands of tablets had been deployed in public schools.
According to him, laptops are also being provided to digitally trained teachers as part of efforts to prepare schools for robotics, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day, ‘Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World’, Aiyedatiwa said it underscored the urgent need to strengthen the teaching profession amid changing educational and technological realities.
“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.
He also urged sustained support for teachers in both urban and rural communities, particularly those working under challenging conditions.
“Your work is foundational. Your influence is often unseen, but its impact is lasting. When we educate a child, we do more than transform one life; we strengthen families, empower communities and expand the productive capacity of the state,” he added.
The governor thanked the Federal Ministry of Education, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa and Minister of State for Education Suwaiba Ahmad for the recognition, pledging that his administration would continue to invest in teachers, learners and educational infrastructure across Ondo State.
