The Federal Government and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, have honoured Mr. Solanke Francis Taiwo, a primary school teacher at Ansa-Ur-Deen Main School I, Kemta Lawa, Abeokuta, with a brand-new car and a two-bedroom bungalow after he emerged as the Overall Best Primary School Teacher in Nigeria for 2025/2026.
Solanke had earlier received a ₦50 million cash prize at the National Teachers’ Summit in Abuja in recognition of his exceptional dedication and classroom impact.
Presenting the car keys at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Governor Abiodun said the vehicle was donated by the Federal Government to celebrate the teacher’s national achievement.
He added that the state government would also allocate a two-bedroom bungalow to Solanke in any location of his choice under the State Housing Scheme.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to sustained reforms in the education sector, including continuous training and retraining of teachers through workshops, seminars, digitisation programmes, and AI-powered teaching platforms.
Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbagbu, described the recognition as evidence of the success of Ogun State’s education reforms.
“When you do things consistently and efficiently, you will definitely continue to get results. This same teacher won in October and has now emerged as the overall best teacher in Nigeria,” he said.
Arigbagbu credited the feat to the Ogun State Education Revitalisation Agenda, built on six pillars, including curriculum reform, infrastructure upgrade, funding, innovation, school management, and improved welfare for teachers and students.
He also highlighted Ogun’s dominance in national competitions, noting that students from the state once clinched 18 out of 24 awards at the JETS competition, with a single student winning nine prizes.
On Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the commissioner disclosed that five states have shown interest in studying Ogun’s model, particularly in digitisation and skills development.
He added that both the Federal Government and the National Board for Technical Education have commended the state’s progress.
Responding to the honour, Solanke expressed gratitude to the governor and the Federal Government, describing the recognition as both humbling and motivating.
“I feel excited and fulfilled. I appreciate our education-friendly governor for this great honour and for celebrating excellence, innovation, and transformational impact among teachers across the state,” he said.
The recognition underscores renewed efforts at both federal and state levels to reward excellence and reposition Nigeria’s education system for sustainable growth.