With schools struggling under chronic underfunding and low teacher morale, a brewery-backed initiative is stepping in to fill the gap. The Maltina Teacher of the Year award, now in its 11th year, continues to recognise educators and enhance school facilities, underscoring the increasing role of private firms in supporting public education.
At a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, the Federal Ministry of Education endorsed the scheme. Minister of State for Education Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad said the award had reached schools in ways government programmes had not. She urged organisers to extend it to Federal Unity Colleges and to add new categories that reflect the range of teaching roles.
Run by the Nigerian Breweries Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, the award provides cash prizes for teachers and infrastructure projects for their schools.
Unions, including the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria and the Nigeria Union of Teachers, stated that they were helping to restore respect for the profession. However, classrooms across the country remain overcrowded and under-resourced, with teachers often going unpaid for months — leaving private initiatives to fill gaps where state support has been lacking.
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