Gabriel Dike, Lagos
In continuation of its support to the education sector, the Nigerian Breweries Plc has flagged off the 2020 edition of the Maltina Teacher of the Year Award with N60 million available for grabs.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos to flag-off the 2020 Maltina Teacher Award, NB’s Corporate Affairs Director, Mrs Sade Morgan, described this year’s edition as a laudable project because of the coronavirus pandemic which has affected all sectors including education.
Morgan said the pandemic has showcased the resilient spirit of teachers who have found new ways to teach virtually despite the technological challenge and limits of the environment.
She explained that the search for the best secondary school teacher in Nigeria and will be concluded in October with a celebration in commemoration of the annual World Teachers’ Day.
”We celebrate teachers who despite odds break new grounds and contribute immensely to the future of our great nation, helping to groom and nurture the next generation,’ she stated.
The corporate affairs director said NB spends N60 million annually as cash prizes for the award, adding the winner will receive N6.5 million, in addition to a trophy, one million naira as first prize, five hundred thousand naira as state champion and one million naira annually for the next five years, go for capacity development training abroad while the school will get a block of classroom or a computer laboratory.
According to her, the first runner-up will receive one million naira, a trophy, the second runner-up N750,000 and a trophy, while all state champions will go home with five hundred thousand naira as well as plaques.
In his remarks via virtual link, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof Segun Ajiboye, said the council identifies with the noble efforts of the Nigeria Breweries Multina Teacher of the Year award.
Prof Ajiboye noted that the award has become a signature annual project in the education calendar of Nigeria, stressing ‘TRCN will provide all its platforms to advertise the program as usual through our Website, Twitter handle, Facebook and the Teacher Information System. We look forward to champions from this competition to apply for the African Union best teacher award recently instituted and the Global Teacher Prize.’
A representative of the Nigeria Union Teachers (NUT), Mr Segun Raheem, said the Nigeria Breweries Plc has been consistent with the malting teacher of the year award and the use of its corporate social responsibility to recognise and motivate teachers.
Raheem, who is the National Treasurer of the NUT, said the union will continue to support the NB on the annual teachers’ award and appealed to other corporate organisations to emulate NB to boost education as well as reward Nigeria teachers.