Governor Dapo Abiodun rewards Nigeria best teacher with new car

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has gifted a brand-new car to Mr Solanke Francis Taiwo, a teacher at Ansa-Ur-Deen Main School I, Kemta Lawa, Abeokuta, in recognition of his emergence as Nigeria’s Overall Best Primary School Teacher.

The governor presented the car keys to Mr Solanke at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in the presence of the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abayomi Arigbagbu, and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Oloko.

Speaking at the event, Arigbagbu described the teacher’s national recognition as proof of the administration’s sustained investment and reforms in the education sector. He noted that Ogun State has consistently produced award-winning teachers, revealing that Mr Solanke had earlier won the Best Teacher Award in October before clinching the national title in Abuja.

According to him, the declaration of a state of emergency in education laid the groundwork for the Ogun State Education Revitalisation Agenda, built on six pillars covering curriculum development, school management, technology and innovation, infrastructure, funding and revenue generation, as well as students’ and teachers’ welfare.

He maintained that the reforms have yielded measurable results, pointing to the state’s strong performance in competitions such as JETS, where Ogun students dominated awards in a particular year. He also disclosed that five states have shown interest in studying Ogun’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) model, while the Federal Government and the National Board for Technical Education have commended the state’s progress.

Arigbagbu said the car gift was meant to encourage teachers across the state to strive for excellence, assuring that the government remains committed to rewarding outstanding performance. Governor Abiodun also reiterated plans to continue training and retraining teachers through workshops, digitisation initiatives, and AI-powered teaching platforms.

In his response, Mr Solanke expressed gratitude to the governor for fostering an enabling environment for quality education.

“I feel excited and fulfilled. I want to appreciate our education-friendly governor for this great honour—for celebrating excellence, innovation, and transformational impact among teachers across the state.

“I promise to continue to give my best to make the state proud and to collaborate with fellow educators to ensure that Ogun State maintains its reputation for educational excellence,” he said.

He urged fellow teachers to remain dedicated to transforming learning outcomes and bringing out the best in every student under their care.