Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year Emerges October 12

The winner of the maiden edition of the Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year award


will be announced on Monday, 12


th


October, 2015, at a grand ceremony in


Lagos. The overall winner of the award will emerge from the ten 'nalists that


were screened by the panel of judges last week.


The ten, who slugged it out at the 'nal lap, were winners from Akwa Ibom,


Anambra, Benue, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Imo, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States.


The national winner will get one million naira and another one million naira


to be paid into his account annually for 've years. The runner-up will take


seven hundred and 'fty naira, while the school that produces the national


winner will also become a bene'ciary of infrastructural development and


projects worth twenty 've million naira.


The Panel of Judges comprising eminent Nigerian academics and


professionals, was chaired by Prof. Pat Utomi, Founder/CEO, Centre for Values


in Leadership. Others include: Mrs. Mopelola O. Omoegun, Professor of


Education, University of Lagos; Prof. Thomas I. Ofuya, Vice Chancellor,


Wellspring University and Member, Committee of Vice Chancellors of


Nigerian Universities; as well as Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, Chairman, Editorial


Board, ThisDay Newspapers. Other members are: Dr. (Mrs.) Abdulrahman


Binta Fatima, National President, All-Nigeria Confederation of Principals of


Secondary Schools; and Professor Tijjani Abubakar, Dean, Faculty of


Education, Ahmadu Bello University.



The race for Maltina Teacher-of-The-Year started on Wednesday, 20


th


May,


2015 and generated unprecedented interest from teachers across the


country. The award instituted by Maltina, the non-alcoholic malt brand from


the staple of Nigerian Breweries Plc, is courtesy of Felix Ohiwerei Education


Trust Fund. It is aimed at restoring the pride of teachers and the dignity of


the teaching profession.


The collection of application forms which was to end on Tuesday, 30


th


June,


2015 was extended to Friday, 17


th


July, 2015, based on the appeal by


secondary school teachers for more time to 'le their entries. The initiative


with prizes worth N50 million annually, is to reward commitment and


diligence to duty by exceptional teachers across the country. Kufre Ekanem,


Nigerian Breweries Corporate A?airs Adviser explained that “On October 12


when the prizes will be awarded, the teaching profession will be put on a


scale and celebrated in a grand event. “Teachers are used to watching other


professions celebrated on TV, now is their time to be celebrated,” he


declared.






According to him, the company hopes that through this initiative, it can


inspire the nation to accord our teachers their deserved credit and bring


back respect to the teaching profession in Nigeria, adding that the objective


of the award is to create an avenue where exceptional teachers will be


showcased and rewarded annually and continuously. Ohiwerei is the 'rst


indigenous Chairman of the leading beverage conglomerate which has been


operating in the country since 1946. The Trust Fund was established in 1994,


with a seed capital of N100 million, to contribute to the development of


educational sector in the country. Over the years, the company has used the


fund to assist over 20,000 students, built 250 classrooms and 22 libraries in


both primary and secondary schools across 49 communities in the country