Education
Delta Teacher Felix Ariguzo Wins 2017 Maltina Teacher Award
By Dipo Olowookere
A teacher with Mastercare International School, Asaba, Delta State, Mr Felix Udochukwu Ariguzo, has emerged the Maltina Teacher of the Year for 2017 in the highpoint of the competition’s grand finale held in Lagos on Thursday.
For the feat, Mr Ariguzo was rewarded with N1 million in addition to N500,000 he received as Delta State champion.
He will also receive N1 million every year for five years, a training programme abroad and a block of six classrooms built at his school.
Mr Ariguzo, a Biology and Chemistry teacher, revealed that he draws inspiration for teaching from his love for service and knowledge building.
He thanked Nigerian Breweries for the gesture and enjoined other corporate organisations to follow the worthy example.
“Today, I am very happy and proud that Nigerian Breweries has shown that teachers’ rewards are both in heaven and on earth,” he enthused.
The 38 year old son of a teacher maintained that teaching is not about earning a living, but giving life a meaning and that a strong passion and emotional stability are vital in the teaching profession.
On the night, Mrs Chika Ume-Ezeoke, a Biology teacher with Our Lady of Apostle, Yaba, Lagos State, emerged the first runner-up, while Mr Samuel Emochuaogu an English teacher with Winners International Academy, Agudama-Epie, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State clinched the second runner-up position.
Each of the 27 State Champions received N500,000 while the first and second runners-up got an additional N1 million and N750,000 respectively.
While welcoming guests at the event, the Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr Johan Doyer, explained that in line with its philosophy of winning with Nigeria, the company resolved in 1994, to play a more active role in the development of education in Nigeria when it established the Nigerian Breweries – Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund with a commencement capital of N100 million.
The fund, according to him, has impacted over 25,000 students across the country, built 31 classroom blocks and 30 libraries equipped with furniture and books in both primary and secondary schools across various communities.
He added that in 2015, the company’s intervention in education was expanded to include teachers when the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative was launched.
The initiative he said, was hinged on the realization that teachers hardly get the recognition they deserve in spite of the pivotal role they play in determining the quality of education and the future of our country.
“Today’s grand finale gives us an opportunity to share happiness with our teachers and I hope that this initiative reminds everyone to support and encourage our teachers always,” Mr Doyer said.
He equally thanked the stakeholders in the education sector for their support especially the Federal Ministry of Education, the ministries of education in all the states across the country, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, amongst several others.
In her remarks, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who was represented by Mr Adesina Odeyemi, a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, described teachers as the most critical asset of the nation and thanked Nigerian Breweries for the initiative she described as a big boost to teachers and the teaching profession.
The Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative has so far produced 69 State Champions and three overall winners.
In 2015, Mrs Rose Nkemdilim Obi from the Federal Government Girls College, Onitsha, Anambra State emerged as the Maltina Teacher of the Year at the maiden edition while Mr Imoh Enoh Essien, a teacher at the Special Education Centre for Exceptional Children, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State won in 2016.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr Amos Dangut, announced the results at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
Mr Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark for admission to higher institutions, out of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination nationwide, held between April 24 and June 19.
He said 102,708 examiners were engaged in the marking exercise held at 88 marking venues across the country between 2 July and 20 July.
“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed. It is now my pleasure to announce the release of the results of candidates who sat the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 in Nigeria,” he said, directing candidates to the agency’s portal to access their results.
“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body said, noting that candidates must obtain their Serial Number and PIN before they can check their results.
To generate the required credentials, candidates are expected to visit WAEC’s official website and select the “Serial Number and PIN” option at the top of the page.
They are then required to select the appropriate examination year and diet, enter their examination number and National Identification Number (NIN), and ensure that the NIN provided is the same one used during registration for the examination.
Candidates must also provide their email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
After entering the OTP, candidates can recover their Serial Number and PIN, which they can subsequently use to check their results through WAEC Direct.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos, were on July 23, 2026, engaged in practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha.
This engagement was made possible through a collaboration between Breathe Life Foundation and Teach Nigeria Fellow.
Participants were students aged 15–19 years. They were also informed about the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education.
By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
The organisation said it is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Obajana Plant of Dangote Cement Plc has distributed some educational materials to some pupils in Kogi State.
The items shared to the beneficiaries included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, water bottles, and other essential learning aids aimed at enhancing the learning experience of the pupils and preparing them for the next academic session.
The General Manager for the Social Performance Department of Dangote Cement at Obajana Plant, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the materials were donated days after Dangote Cement distributed similar education materials to pupils in public schools in its catchment communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Obajana and Apata; and commissioned a multi-million-naira hospital in Obajana, which added to the growing list of social investments that includes an earlier hospital project in Iwaa and Oyo Communities.
He noted that, over the years, the company has invested billions of naira in a wide range of social programmes for host communities, including empowerment programmes, road construction, and potable water projects, and it remains resolute in its commitment to sustaining and expanding its interventions.
He noted that the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes are aligned with government development priorities and are implemented through sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships.
“The intervention was informed by findings from a needs assessment conducted by Dangote Cement. During the assessment, it was observed that several pupils attended school without school bags, while others carried their books by hand. It was also discovered that many students lacked essential learning materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other basic learning materials,” the cement firm said.
The Head Teacher of UBE LGEA School, St. Luke Model II, Adankolo, Lokoja Local Government Area, Mr Abubakar Sanni, expressed profound appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture.
The Head Teacher expressed gratitude to the Group President of the conglomerate, Aliko Dangote, for extending the company’s educational support programme beyond its host and impacted communities to schools located at the state headquarters.
The beneficiaries, school management, parents, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude to Dangote Cement for the timely intervention and prayed for the continued growth and success of the company in its efforts to improve lives and support sustainable community development.
