World Teachers’ Day: COEASU Awards N3.5m To Outstanding Students

To commemorate World Teachers’ Day, the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has awarded N3.5 million to six exceptional students, each representing one of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

Additionally, the union conferred legacy awards on distinguished educators, including the executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Oloyede;  registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; former deputy governor of Bauchi StateAlhaji Abdulmalik Mahmood, and other notable recipients.

The COEASU 2024 International Teachers’ Day celebration and awards for the best students took place in Abuja on Friday, under the theme: “Valuing Teachers’ Voices Towards Repositioning Teacher Education in Nigeria.”

President of COEASU, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, said the award was initiated to promote academic excellence.

“Our Union has instituted a scholarship for the best student in the College of Education system in Nigeria. Through a transparent, objective, and externally coordinated process of examinations, we determined the best students in Colleges of Education within each zone, as well as the overall best among them.”

He also called on government agencies, private organizations, awardees, and individuals of goodwill towards educational development to contribute to these prizes for the students.

The list of awardees includes Nwachukwu Chioma Ruth, best student in the North-Central zone from Nasarawa State College of Education, Akwanga; Musa Abdullahi Musa, best student in the North-East zone from Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare, Bauchi; and Nusaiba Awwal Barau, best student in the North-West zone from Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso, Kano State.

Others are Nwoha Johnson Obinna, best student in the South-East zone from Benjamin Uwajomogu State College of Education, Ihite Uboma, Imo State; Ezeanofu Chisom Miracle, best student in the South-South zone from Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta; and Latona Mubarak, best student in the South-West zone and overall best student in Nigeria from Federal College of Education, Iwo, Osun State.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, presenting the awards to the students, reiterated the ministry’s commitment to improving teachers’ welfare.