Dapo Abiodun has rewarded a primary school teacher, Mr Solanke Francis Taiwo of Ansa-Ur-Deen Main School I, Kemta Lawa, Abeokuta, with a brand new car after he emerged as Nigeria’s Overall Best Primary School Teacher.
The governor presented the car keys at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in the presence of the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbagbu, and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Oloko.
Speaking at the event, Arigbagbu described the teacher’s feat as proof of the administration’s consistent investment in education and the impact of its reform policies.
“When you do things consistently and efficiently, you will continue to record results. We have been winning the Best Teacher Award back-to-back. This same teacher won in October and has now emerged as the overall best teacher in Nigeria.
“This shows that once you put sound policies in place—such as the Ogun State Education Revitalisation Agenda, which is built on six pillars, with the last pillar focusing on students’ and teachers’ welfare—you will see tangible outcomes. This administration has made significant progress across all the pillars,” he said.
He explained that the declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector paved the way for sweeping reforms under the Revitalisation Agenda, covering curriculum development, school management, technology and innovation, infrastructure, funding and revenue generation, as well as students’ and teachers’ welfare.
According to him, the state’s repeated successes at both state and national levels reflect genuine transformation in the sector.
“On each of these pillars, we have delivered effectively. That is why I am not surprised that our teachers and students continue to win awards at various levels,” he added.
He noted that after emerging best in the state, Solanke proceeded to clinch the national title in Abuja, describing the victory as further confirmation of progress in the education system.
“It shows that when we say someone has emerged as the best teacher, it is not cosmetic. It confirms that the entire education sector has truly been revitalised. Ogun State remains number one in education, and we cannot afford to go backwards,” he said.
Arigbagbu also highlighted the state’s strong performance in external competitions, recalling its dominance in JETS contests where students secured 18 of 24 awards in a particular year, with one student winning nine.
On technical and vocational education, he disclosed that five states have shown interest in understudying Ogun’s model in Technical and Vocational Education and Training and its digitisation drive. He added that the Federal Government and the National Board for Technical Education have commended the state’s efforts.
He said the car gift was meant to inspire other teachers to strive for excellence, stressing that the administration would continue to recognise and reward outstanding performance.
Abiodun further assured that the state would sustain the training and retraining of teachers through workshops, seminars, digitisation initiatives and AI-powered teaching platforms.
In his response, Solanke thanked the governor for fostering a supportive environment for teaching and learning, noting that the reforms in the sector have produced visible results at both state and national levels.
“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 also encouraged fellow teachers to remain dedicated to improving learning outcomes and bringing out the best in every pupil entrusted to their care.
