Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Friday night received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 8th Edition of the Maltina Teacher of the Year Competition, where a teacher from Plateau State, Alaku Ayinwulu, emerged as the 2022 Teacher of the Year.
The annual Maltina Teacher of the Year Competition is organised by Nigerian Breweries Plc to reward teachers for outstanding achievements in teaching, research, and professionalism.
The 2022 competition held in Lagos, had Musa Saidu from Borno State, and Ifeoma Ifediba, from Enugu State as first and second runners up respectively. Each of the winners was rewarded with cash prizes.
In his remarks at the event, Vice President Osinbajo, a professor of law, narrated his experiences as a pupil in primary school, a student at the secondary school and university, and as a law teacher, giving accolades to teachers for the role they play in his formative years.
A word from a teacher
Recounting the impact his teachers made in his life, the vice president said “a word from a teacher can make such a difference in the life of a student.”
Prof. Osinbajo said that the saying that “a teacher’s reward is in heaven” might not be completely true because the “saying misses an important point about most committed teachers.”
He said, “for such teachers, their greatest joy and satisfaction comes from seeing their pupils and students do well and become successful in life.
“I was pleasantly surprised last year when my former students did a well-publicised video celebration of my 40th anniversary as a university teacher.
“My students include Judges and justices, Hon. Justice John Inyang Okoro, Justice of the Supreme Court, many judges including former Chief judge of Sokoto State Aisha Sanni Dahiru.
“Senior Advocates of Nigeria, including the first Nigerian to be a Professor, a Queens’s counsel, and a senior advocate of Nigeria at the same time, Prof. Fidelis Oditah.
“They also include several politicians, former governors, including Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue State, and former Governor of the then Western State, General David Jemibewon Rtd, and even royalty…the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu.
“Many Professors, many SANs I will mention only the female SANs because they are fewer, Dorothy Udeme Ufot, SAN –, Prof, Yemi Bamgbose SAN (now deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Ibadan.)”
The Vice president said he always speaks with pride about his former students because their successes are “such an immense source of pride and satisfaction, the type of reward money cannot buy,” adding “the teacher must be appreciated, everyone needs affirmation and encouragement. It can only lead to greater attainments.”
The Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opia, who was also at the event, said the Nigerian government plans to bring back the glory days of the teacher in the country.
“The new teaching policy developed by the Federal Ministry of Education is addressing the career paths, remuneration, teaching standards, qualification other issues to revitalise the teaching profession,” Opia stated.
The Chairman of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Kola Jamodu also spoke, commending the role the Vice President has played in creating enabling business environment in Nigeria.
Dominica Nwabufo
