The Federal Government has announced plans to reward outstanding teachers and schools as part of activities marking the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration scheduled for October 5. Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at a news conference and symposium organised ahead of the celebration. The 2026 celebration has as its theme, “Transforming the Teaching Profession for Africa’s Future.”
According to the minister, the theme focuses on five interconnected pillars: innovation, mobility, artificial intelligence, inclusion and professional excellence. She said the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), coordinates the annual celebration, while state ministries of education facilitate the nomination of teachers and schools for the awards.
Ahmad said the 2026 selection process was digitalised for the first time, in line with African Union guidelines, to promote safety, transparency, accountability and proper documentation. She said the digital process eliminated the need for applicants to travel from different parts of the country to submit hard copies, adding that the system was designed to receive, assess and score participants electronically.
The minister disclosed that 14 awardees would be recognised under the 2026 World Teachers’ Day and President’s Teachers’ and Schools Excellence Awards (PTSEA). She revealed that the first, second and third-best teachers would receive car gifts, while the best Federal Unity College would be presented with a bus. Other awardees would receive laptops as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to recognise and motivate outstanding performance in the teaching profession.
Ahmad said the Federal Government had already developed a policy aimed at attracting and retaining the best brains in the teaching profession. She said the policy, approved in 2025 and disseminated to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, contains guidelines and strategies for attracting high-quality personnel into teaching and improving teachers’ welfare and retention.
Also speaking at the event, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, called for greater investment in preparing teachers for the rapidly changing education environment. Amba said technological advancement, artificial intelligence, changing societal expectations and emerging approaches to teaching and learning were transforming education globally.
The World Teachers’ Day celebration will feature the participation of teachers from the 36 states and the FCT, including a colourful march-past in their respective state flags and cultural attire. The minister stressed that effective implementation of the policy would require the cooperation of state governments because education is on the concurrent legislative list and most teachers are employed at the state level.
Key points
- The Federal Government has announced plans to reward outstanding teachers and schools as part of activities marking the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration.
- The 2026 selection process was digitalised for the first time, in line with African Union guidelines, to promote safety, transparency, accountability and proper documentation.
- The Federal Government had already developed a policy aimed at attracting and retaining the best brains in the teaching profession.
