The Federal Government has honoured Ondo State Governor, Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, with a Special Recognition Award for his administration’s contributions to the development of education in the state.

Aiyedatiwa received the award on Monday at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Commemoration and President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards held at Eagle Square, Abuja.

Receiving the award from the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, the governor dedicated the recognition to teachers across Ondo State, saying their sacrifices remained central to the progress recorded in the education sector.

“I am deeply honoured to stand before you today as I receive this Special Recognition with humility, gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility,” Aiyedatiwa said.

He added: “This honour is gratefully accepted, not as a personal award, but as a tribute to the teachers of Ondo State.”

The governor said the award recognised the collective efforts of teachers who, according to him, “carry the hopes of families, the aspirations of communities and in many respects, the future of our dear Sunshine State.”

Aiyedatiwa, who was a teacher before becoming governor, said his experience in the classroom had continued to shape his approach to governance.

“Having been a teacher before, I know the classroom. I know the responsibility it entails; standing before young minds and trying to make knowledge meaningful to them,” he said.

He disclosed that he deliberately returned to the classroom in March 2025 to teach, saying the decision was intended to demonstrate that “the teaching profession remains at the flagship of the educational enterprise.”

The governor said education remained a major priority of his administration and was embedded in its seven-pillar development agenda, the OUR EASE mantra.

According to him, the state recruited more than 2,100 teachers into its primary and secondary schools in 2025, while continuing investments in professional development, digital and pedagogical training, climate-smart instructional programmes and quality assurance.

He said the government also constructed 43 new classroom blocks at a cost of about N3.1 billion in 2025, while 75 schools underwent complete renovation.

The governor said the state procured 8,500 learners’ furniture and 1,200 teachers’ furniture, alongside textbooks, sports equipment and other learning materials.

He added that learning resources worth more than N150 million were distributed across the three senatorial districts, while computer textbooks were provided to learners in all 18 local government areas.

On access to education, Aiyedatiwa said the government had established and taken over community secondary schools and provided free shuttle buses and boats to ease transportation difficulties for students.

He disclosed that the state government paid N633.9 million for the registration of 23,048 public school students for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, while the National Business and Technical Examinations Board examinations were also fully sponsored.

The governor said the state committed N350 million and N400 million to tertiary students’ bursary support in 2025 and 2026 respectively, while OSOPADEC provided N286.7 million in bursaries to 4,837 students.

He said the administration was also preparing students and teachers for the changing demands of the digital economy through partnerships and investments in artificial intelligence, digital literacy and emerging technologies.

He said the state’s collaboration had introduced AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and structured literacy programmes, while thousands of tablets had been deployed in public schools.

The governor added that computer laptops were being provided to digitally trained teachers as part of preparations for robotics, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

He also cited the One Youth, One Skill initiative and O’datiwa Skills Development Enterprise Centres as efforts to provide young people with alternatives through technical skills, entrepreneurship and enterprise.

Aiyedatiwa said the theme of the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration, “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World,” was particularly relevant to the state’s experience.

“If we truly desire a knowledge-driven society, we must give teachers the tools to teach, the environment to work, the dignity they deserve and the opportunity to continually renew their knowledge,” he said.

He dedicated the award to teachers working across the state, including those serving in difficult circumstances and communities.
“Your work is foundational. Your influence is often invisible, but its significance is enduring,” he said.

The governor thanked the Federal Ministry of Education for the recognition, describing it as an encouragement for his administration to deepen its investment in education.