World Teachers’ Day: Governor Radda Bags NUT Golden Award

World Teachers’ Day: Governor Radda Bags NUT Golden Award

…Promises Welfare, Professional Growth

By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has been conferred with the Golden Award of Excellence for Education and Teacher Friendliness by the National Leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

The honour was presented to the governor on Sunday at the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration held at Eagle Square, Abuja, in recognition of his administration’s transformative reforms in education and commitment to teachers’ welfare.

Receiving the award, Governor Radda stated that his administration had committed over 25 per cent of the state budget in the last two years to the education sector, demonstrating an unprecedented prioritization of educational development.

“We have conducted a major recruitment exercise that was never done in this country — recruiting over 7,000 teachers at once. We are now introducing rural incentives for our rural teachers to encourage them and give them the attention they need for the development of our nation,” the governor declared.

Governor Radda emphasized that developing education is developing the future, noting that without teachers, there would be no nation and no Katsina State.

“We commend you, we encourage you, and we will do everything within our capacity to make your lives better,” he added.

The governor dedicated the award to all teachers in Katsina State, thanking the NUT for its continued support and collaboration with his administration.

“On behalf of our government, our colleagues, and all the students in our state, we thank the union, we thank Nigerian teachers, and we wish you well,” Governor Radda stated.

The 2025 World Teachers’ Day, themed “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession,” brought together education stakeholders from across Nigeria to celebrate teachers’ contributions to national development.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, noted that collaborative teaching is increasingly being recognized globally as a powerful strategy for improving learning outcomes.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, highlighted the ministry’s efforts in strengthening teacher collaboration through initiatives such as the National Teacher Development Policy (2022), the Digital Literacy and Skills Framework, and the promotion of Professional Learning Communities across schools.

The President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for sustaining the President’s Teachers and Schools Excellence Award, and expressed gratitude to state governors who have supported the observance of World Teachers’ Day.

Comrade Amba called on stakeholders to continue to honour and appreciate teachers for their role in shaping the future and positively impacting society.

Other award recipients included Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State.

Similarly, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, representatives of UNESCO, and the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) delivered goodwill messages at the ceremony.

It will be recalled that Governor Radda’s administration has implemented comprehensive education reforms, including massive teacher recruitment, infrastructure development, professional training programmes, rural teacher incentives, and increased budgetary allocation to the education sector.

Governor Namadi Pledges Teachers’ Welfare, Professional Growth

Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to teachers’ welfare, continuous professional training, and recruitment to strengthen the education sector across the state.

Speaking at the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration held at the Nuhu Muhammad Sanusi Durbar Ground in Dutse, the governor commended teachers for their hard work, resilience, and dedication to duty.

“Let me first and foremost, in recognition of this historic day and occasion, on behalf of the government and the entire people of Jigawa State, profoundly express our warm gratitude and sincere appreciation to all teachers in the state for your hard work, resilience, and dedication in continuing to impart knowledge and skills to our children as pupils and students,” he said.

Governor Namadi emphasized the crucial role of teachers in nation-building, asserting that teaching serves as the foundation for all other professions.

“Every accomplished professional in whatever field — every professor, politician, business tycoon, or learned person — had a teacher he or she revered in life. We often recall them with nostalgia and deep appreciation for being part of our journey. Is there any profession more noble and more rewarding than teaching? I believe there is none.”

He described teachers as role models and mentors who provide moral guidance and inspiration to pupils and students alike.

“Teachers play the role of parents and provide moral guidance and inspiration for pupils and students to grow up as functional and productive members of society. This is precisely why people often say that the reward of teachers is in heaven — and this is true if teachers see what they are doing as service to humanity,” he added.

Governor Namadi also announced that an executive bill is before the Jigawa State House of Assembly for the establishment of the Jigawa State Teacher Development Agency, which will focus exclusively on teacher training, retraining, and professional capacity development.

“The objectives of the Bill include, among others, enhancing the capacity of teaching and non-teaching staff at both basic and post-basic levels, undertaking capacity-building programmes, and improving teaching methodologies. Only through an agency established for this purpose can teacher development receive the attention it truly deserves.”

He stressed that the quality of pupils and students is directly linked to the quality of teachers.

In his address earlier, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Abdulkadir Yunusa Jigawa, lauded the Jigawa State Government for its continuous support to the education sector. He highlighted several achievements under Governor Namadi’s leadership, including the promotion of over 16,000 teachers, the implementation of a ₦70,000 minimum wage, and the recruitment of more than 10,000 teachers across the state.

Comrade Yunusa also commended the governor for introducing digital reforms in schools, fencing education facilities for safety, and establishing critical agencies such as the Jigawa State Senior Secondary School Education Board, the Jigawa Education Resource Agency (JERA), the Education Quality Assurance Agency (JISEQA), and the Teacher Training and Development Agency (JITDA).

He further acknowledged the government’s allocation of 32 per cent of the state budget to education — exceeding UNESCO’s recommendation — and praised the reinstatement of the Best Teacher Award as motivation for excellence in the teaching profession.