Three teachers from Oyo state, won awards in various categories of the 2023 Presidential Teachers and School Excellence Award at the Eagle’s square, Abuja.

This was announced by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Salihu Abdulwaheed Adelabu, during the celebration of the World Teachers’ Day celebration.

He added that the Oyo State awardees are part of the winners who were drawn from different public and private primary and secondary schools across the country.

Prof. Abdulwaheed Adelabu was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Adeniyi Olusanjo at an event organized to mark the 2023 World Teachers’ Day at NUT Model College, Ibadan.

The awardees from Oyo State are Mr. Babarinlo Samson Oluwaseun, Head teacher, Methodist Basic School, Iseyin; Mr. Amoo Joseph, Principal, Government College, Ibadan; and Barrister Odejayi Olatunde Adedamilola, Proprietor, Second Home College, Olodo, Ibadan.

On October 5, 2023, Oyo State teachers joined their counterparts across the world to celebrate this year’s World Teachers’ Day.

Congratulating the winners, Prof. Adelabu reiterated the Oyo State government’s focus on reforms in the education sector, including recruitment of more teachers into the primary sector of the state.

He said “the recruitment and posting of teachers to all our public secondary schools, prompt payment of salaries and good working conditions is now the order of the day. Effort is ongoing to recruit teachers at the primary school level. This has gone a long way in addressing the issue of out of school children, thereby ranking the State as one of the best in the Nation.”

The Commissioner applauded the efforts of all teachers, and the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Oyo State Wing for being pillars of support to the present administration.

Adelabu said studies have shown that acute shortage of teachers is usually caused by poor salaries, poor working conditions and high student-teacher ratio, noting that this is a thing of the past in Oyo State.

He therefore appealed to teachers in the State to reciprocate the good gesture of the government by rendering good service to the state’s education sector.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Oyo State Teaching Service Commission, Pastor Akinade Alamu, applauded Governor Seyi Makinde for making the teaching profession attractive in the State.

Pastor Alamu highlighted the Oyo State government’s efforts towards creating a conducive environment for teachers.

He noted that though the profession is still faced with some challenges, the Oyo State Government is poised to make life more meaningful for teachers.

In his speech, the State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Raji Oladimeji, said teachers in the State are enjoying the dividends of good governance.

He thanked the Oyo State Government for giving an enabling environment for teachers to exhibit their talents.

Comrade Raji who also applauded the appointment of a Professor as the Commissioner for Education, noted that the State Government has not relented in prompt payment of salaries; defrayment of all backlog of deductions; upward review of car loans to teachers; among other kind gestures towards teachers.

Highlights of the event include presentation of awards to the Chairman of the occasion, Engr. Dotun Sanusi; and a match-past by teachers from all the zones in Oyo State.

The event was graced by stakeholders in the Education sector, including the Ag. Executive Secretary, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Mrs. Olaide Ladipo; Education Secretaries; past NUT chairmen; Permanent Secretaries/Tutor Generals from Ministry of Education among others.

World Teachers’ Day, marked since 1994, was introduced to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the 1966 International Labour Organisation/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ILO/UNESCO) recommendation concerning the status of teachers.

In 2023, World Teachers’ Day celebrations focused on the theme “The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage.”