Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has called for stronger investment in teachers, stressing that educators need adequate tools, professional development, dignity and supportive working environments to deliver quality education.
Aiyedatiwa made the call on Monday, October 5, 2026, in Abuja while delivering his acceptance speech after receiving a Special Recognition at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Commemoration and President’s Teachers’ and Schools Excellence Awards at Eagle Square.
The governor dedicated the recognition to teachers in Ondo State, saying their contribution to society extends beyond examination results and academic performance.
He said teachers carry significant responsibility in shaping children, families and communities, describing their work as central to the future development of Ondo State.
Aiyedatiwa Links Education Progress to Teacher Welfare
Aiyedatiwa said his administration had made education a major component of its seven-pillar development agenda, with attention directed towards teacher recruitment, professional development, school infrastructure and access to education.
According to figures presented by the governor, more than 2,100 teachers were recruited into public primary and secondary schools in Ondo State in 2025.
He also said the government had continued to provide digital, pedagogical and other professional training aimed at strengthening teachers’ capacity.
The governor’s comments come as education systems face increasing pressure to adapt to technological changes, including the growing use of artificial intelligence and digital learning tools.
The Ondo State Public Service Training Institute has also reported initiatives to train teachers on the use of artificial intelligence in education, reflecting the state’s broader emphasis on digital capacity building.
Aiyedatiwa said investment in teachers must therefore go beyond recruitment and salaries to include the resources and conditions required for effective teaching.
Ondo Reports New Classrooms and School Renovations
The governor also highlighted investments in school infrastructure.
He said 43 new classroom blocks were constructed in 2025 at a cost of about N3.1 billion, while 75 schools were completely renovated.
According to the governor, the state also procured 8,500 pieces of furniture for learners and 1,200 pieces for teachers.
Learning resources valued at more than N150 million were distributed across Ondo State’s three senatorial districts, while computer textbooks were provided to learners across the state’s 18 local government areas.
Additional school construction and rehabilitation projects were included in the state’s 2026 budget, he said.
The investments are part of a wider effort to address the physical conditions in which teachers and students operate.
For teachers, access to functional classrooms, furniture, learning materials and appropriate technology can directly affect their ability to deliver lessons effectively. For students, improvements in the learning environment can contribute to safer and more conducive schools.
Governor Highlights Teachers’ Welfare
Aiyedatiwa also pointed to the payment of salaries and allowances as part of his administration’s approach to teacher welfare.
He said the state had continued to address inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired public servants, including a significant number of retired teachers.
The governor described the payment of outstanding obligations as more than a financial responsibility, saying it was also a recognition of the contribution made by workers during their years of service.
The Ondo State Government has separately announced measures affecting the welfare and funding of workers in the education sector.
In August, the state government said Aiyedatiwa approved a 60 per cent increase in monthly subventions to state-owned tertiary institutions. The government said the measure was intended to strengthen the institutions’ ability to meet salary obligations and improve the learning environment. It also approved implementation of the Federal Government-unions agreement in the affected institutions.
In September, the state government and unions in its universities also reached an agreement on outstanding salary, allowance and welfare issues, including the domestication of the Federal Government-ASUU agreement on CONUASS for academic staff in state-owned universities.
While those measures primarily concern tertiary institutions, they form part of the wider education-sector welfare agenda highlighted by the governor.
Education Support Extends Beyond Teachers
Aiyedatiwa also highlighted measures aimed at reducing financial and logistical barriers facing students.
He said the state had provided free shuttle buses and boats for students, paid West African Examinations Council registration fees for pupils in public secondary schools and sponsored National Business and Technical Examinations Board examinations.
According to the governor, N633.9 million was spent in 2026 on WAEC registration for 23,048 students.
He also said N350 million was committed to tertiary students’ support in 2025, while N400 million was committed in 2026.
The state has continued to present student support as part of its broader education strategy. Earlier reporting showed that the administration had also expanded bursary and scholarship support for students from Ondo State.
These measures are significant because the quality of education depends not only on what happens inside classrooms but also on whether students can remain in school and access the resources required to learn.
Aiyedatiwa Pushes Digital Education
The governor also used the World Teachers’ Day occasion to stress the need for schools and teachers to adapt to technological changes.
He argued that education systems cannot adequately prepare students for the future using only traditional learning tools.
Ondo State has been pursuing digital education initiatives, including teacher training and the introduction of technology-based learning resources.
Aiyedatiwa said the state had introduced AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and literacy programmes through partnerships, while thousands of tablets had been deployed in public schools.
He added that laptops were being provided to digitally trained teachers as the state prepares educators and students for emerging fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence.
The development reflects a broader change in the role of teachers. As digital technologies become more common in education, teachers increasingly need both traditional pedagogical skills and the ability to use digital tools responsibly and effectively.
That means investment in infrastructure must be matched by investment in teacher training.
Why Teacher Dignity Matters
The governor’s message on World Teachers’ Day also placed professional dignity at the centre of education reform.
Teachers are responsible for translating education policies and curricula into practical classroom experiences. Even well-designed policies can struggle to produce results when educators lack adequate materials, training, support or suitable working conditions.
For Nigeria, the issue has wider implications because the country’s education system is under pressure to improve learning outcomes while responding to technological change and demographic growth.
The 2026 World Teachers’ Day theme, “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World,” reflects those challenges.
For Ondo State, the governor’s remarks therefore place teacher welfare alongside infrastructure, digital transformation and access to education as interconnected parts of improving the sector.
A school may have new classrooms and technology, but those investments still depend on teachers having the knowledge, support and working environment necessary to use them effectively.
Aiyedatiwa Recalls His Own Teaching Experience
Aiyedatiwa also referred to his personal experience as a teacher while explaining his understanding of the challenges facing educators.
He said he returned to the classroom in March 2025 and described the experience as important to his understanding of the realities teachers face.
The governor said his previous experience in teaching had helped shape his understanding of the responsibility involved in standing before young people and making knowledge meaningful to them.
His comments offer a personal dimension to his call for greater investment in educators, although the wider success of the state’s education policies will ultimately depend on their implementation and measurable outcomes.
What Happens Next
The Ondo State Government is expected to continue implementing its education-sector programmes, including teacher recruitment, professional development, infrastructure projects and digital education initiatives.
The state has also indicated that additional school construction and rehabilitation projects are included in its 2026 budget.
At the national level, the World Teachers’ Day focus on protecting the status of the teaching profession is likely to keep attention on teacher welfare, professional development and the impact of technology on education.
For Ondo State, the key challenge will be ensuring that investments translate into sustained improvements in classroom conditions and learning outcomes.
The governor’s message is ultimately that improving education requires investment in the people who deliver it.
For teachers to prepare students for a changing world, they need more than lesson plans. They need appropriate teaching materials, modern technology, professional development, fair welfare arrangements and working environments that recognise the importance of their profession.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Punch Newspapers — report on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s 2026 World Teachers’ Day remarks and Ondo State education investments.
- Ondo State Government — official statement on increased subventions to state-owned tertiary institutions and implementation of the Federal Government-unions agreement.
- Television Continental (TVC) — report on the resolution of the Ondo State university unions’ wage and welfare dispute.
- Ondo State Public Service Training Institute — information on AI training initiatives for teachers.
- The Guardian Nigeria — background on recent education and student-support measures under the Aiyedatiwa administration.
