Nigerian Breweries (NB) has charged corporate organisations in public and private sectors to invest in the educational sector as this is critical to the future of the country.
Such investment, he stated, will enhance the quality of graduates that tertiary institutions are churning out on a yearly basis, in the long run, while ensuring that graduates are motivated to also work in the educational sector.
On its part, it said, its ‘Maltina Teacher of the Year awards’ is a part of its continuous investment in the educational sector of the country.
For more than 10 years, the Maltina Teacher of the Year awards have been making significant impacts in inspiring teachers, the creators of the nation’s manpower base to great heights.
With serial failures in state institutions to inspire resurgence in the nation’s most critical sector, NB said, its intervention in putting together this annual event has made phenomenal impacts.
Recall that, Imoh Enoh Essien, a teacher with the Special Education Centre for Exceptional Children, Uyo, who won the grand prize winner in 2019, emerged the winner of the ‘Fulbright Teacher Excellence Award three years after being crowned the Maltina Teacher of the Year.
Similarly, Opeifa Olasunkanmi, the 2018 winner also emerged as one of the top 10 finalists at the 2020 Global Teacher Award, where he was also recognised by the Ogun State government in 2021, and presented with a 3-bedroom apartment.
Imoh Essien believes his role, as a top-class professional caregiver, tutor and guide to children with special needs, can best be achieved through the cooperative efforts of teachers, principals, support personnel and their parents. And this he pursues to the letter in his daily professional activities.
Another previous winner, Rose Nkemdilim Obi, who won the maiden edition of the competition, has also gone to prove her mettle in creatively teaching two seemingly ‘difficult ‘ subjects, Chemistry and Mathematics.
It was the same qualities that the panel for the 2024 awards led by Prof Pat Utomi factored in selecting Esomofu Chidiebere Ifechukwu, who teaches at Crown Grace School, Mararaba, Nasarawa State as the winner of this year’s award.
At the Award event held in Lagos recently, Esomofu received awards for himself and his school valued at more than N30 million. In addition to these, he will also be exposed to capacity training programmes abroad to further develop his knowledge for the dispensation of knowledge.
It was not a winner-takes-all event as consolation prizes were also made available for the runners up, who took home N3, 000,000, and N2,000,000 for the first runner-up and second runner-up respectively.
Speaking at the award ceremony, the managing director, NB Plc, Hans Essaadi, expressed delight that the objectives of setting up the competition have always been achieved.
Essaadi stressed the need to reward and celebrate Nigerian teachers, for their daily sacrifices, toils and efforts at shaping the minds of future leaders. This, he added, has been the driving force of the collaboration between the company and the Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund to champion the cause of teachers.
He expressed delight that the Fund, set up with the sum of N100 million, in 1994, has continued to make positive impacts in the lives of teachers, and the practice of teaching.
The process of selecting the winners start from state levels, and proceed to the national level where the overall winners are selected. All state champions are not left empty handed as each champion is given recognition plaques in addition to cash prizes of N1 million.
The managing director of NB Plc sees it as a way of reemphasising the premium the business places on education, empowering Nigerian teachers, and creating a sustainable future.
“We are in Nigeria for the long haul and as an employer of thousands of Nigerians directly and indirectly, we feel the sense of commitment to support those who prepare our children for future leadership,” Essaadi said.
