The Kwara State Government has rewarded outstanding teachers, head teachers and principals across the state with about N120m as part of activities marking the 2026 World Teachers’ Day.
The Kwara State Government announced plans to purchase Dangote Refinery shares for outstanding female teachers as part of efforts to promote investment, asset ownership, and financial inclusion among women, a disclosure contained in a statement issued on Monday, October 5, 2026, by the Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, Mashood Abdulrafiu Agboola.
Presenting the awards at an event in Ilorin, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said the prizes were meant to recognize the sacrifices of teachers and motivate them to do more.
According to the statement, 29 best principals and head teachers received N29m, while 119 outstanding teachers received N59.5m.
Eleven serving and retired university dons also received N22m as pioneer professorship recognition awards, while three schools received N9m for the Best Kept School Award.
AbdulRazaq said his administration would continue to prioritize the welfare and working conditions of teachers.
“We will continue to do our part, including improving your welfare and working conditions on a sustainable basis. We are confident that you and other stakeholders will always do your part,” he said.
“Our objective remains clear: to build an education system that gives every child in Kwara a fair opportunity to learn, develop useful skills and compete anywhere in the world. The quality of education we provide today will determine the quality of Kwara we have tomorrow.
“When we came into office, we knew that improving the education sector was a top priority. We also knew that this required more than building classrooms or increasing the number of teachers. We needed to improve the quality of teaching and learning itself as well as sustainably restore the dignity of our teachers.”
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The governor said the government had recruited qualified teachers through a merit-based process, strengthened continuous professional development, improved school infrastructure and introduced technology and data into the management of basic education through KwaraLEARN.
“Before I conclude, we have been in discussion with Dangote Foundation and this discussion is about promoting investment culture among women, financial inclusion, investment, assets and shareholding,” he said.
“Dangote has created the Dangote Foundation, providing subscription grounds for women only. For every ten shares we purchase they will give a grant of another ten shares making twenty shares.
“Our hardworking women teachers in TESCOM and SUBEB will get ten shares each. We will also extend it to the retired female teachers so that peace and prosperity will go round them.”
The governor directed the state Head of Service, Dr Olufunke Mercy Shittu, to “design modalities for including outstanding retired female teachers in the Dangote Refinery initial public offering.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof Sheu Raheem Adaramaja, said the state government had approved the 2026 promotion exercise for teachers.
He announced that the “promotion examination would hold the following Saturday,” adding that “Kwara would be the first state in the country to conduct the 2026 promotion exercise for eligible teachers.”
The state Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, said “hard work deserved recognition and urged the awardees to continue developing themselves.”
The National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Audu Amba, who was represented by Issa Habeeb, as well as state NUT leaders, heads of educational institutions, labour leaders and other government officials attended the event.
The state NUT Chairman, Yusuf Agboola, commended the government’s investments in school infrastructure and teachers’ welfare, while requesting that the “state adopt the national harmonized retirement age for teachers.”
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