203 public secondary schools now have ICT labs
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
ADO-EKITI — Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Monday rewarded outstanding teachers across the state with N70.5 million as part of activities marking the 2026 World Teachers’ Day.
The beneficiaries, drawn from public primary and secondary schools, private schools and administrative cadres, were recognised for outstanding performance and commitment to duty.
Speaking at the celebration in Ado-Ekiti, themed “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping Our Futures,” Oyebanji called for sustained investment in teachers’ welfare and modern learning facilities.
The governor assured teachers of his administration’s continued commitment to their welfare and provision of conducive working environments, promising that outstanding emoluments, particularly leave bonuses, would be paid soon.
Responding to a request by the teachers, Oyebanji disclosed that the state government would construct a new ultra-modern state library, which he said had been captured in the 2027 budget.
“I have listened to the leadership of NUT and let me disclose that we will be constructing a befitting state library next year. It has been captured in the 2027 budget,” he said.
Oyebanji said teachers remained central to the development of the nation’s human capital, stressing that their contribution to shaping future generations could not be quantified.
He described the 2026 celebration as significant because it marked 60 years since the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, adopted in Paris.
“This year’s celebration is historic. It marks the sixty years since the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of teachers in Paris, establishing international standards concerning teachers’ rights and responsibilities,” he said.
The governor said the theme also resonated with his administration’s education agenda and commitment to strengthening teachers’ professional identity.
He disclosed that all 203 public secondary schools in the state now had ICT laboratories, while 125 had been equipped with 5KVA inverters and internet facilities.
According to him, old school buildings had been renovated or rehabilitated across the schools, while perimeter fencing had been provided for 54 public secondary schools.
He added that 48 public secondary schools had been equipped with CCTV cameras, with another 85 schools scheduled to receive the facilities within the month.
Oyebanji also said his administration had continued to prioritise regular payment of salaries and the provision of revolving car and housing loans for eligible secondary school teachers.
He said the government had also addressed personnel shortages through the recruitment of teachers into public primary and secondary schools.
According to him, 5,530 teachers had been recruited in four years, comprising 430 teachers through the Teaching Service Commission in 2022, 500 in 2023/2024 and 1,600 in 2025/2026, while SUBEB recruited 1,500 teachers in the 2022/2023 session and another 1,500 in 2026.
“Be rest assured that we will always stand with you and protect your dignity, and your place in our administration remains topmost,” Oyebanji said.
He thanked teachers for their service and reiterated the government’s commitment to improving their welfare and working conditions.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye, commended the governor for his investment in the education sector, saying billions of naira had been expended across various levels.
The state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Lawrence Adedeji, and his counterpart in the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), represented by Austin Bamidele, also commended the governor for his commitment to teachers’ welfare.
They, however, appealed to the government to fulfil its promises on the payment of outstanding emoluments, stressing that the welfare and recognition of teachers should go beyond the annual celebration.
“Celebration of teachers should go beyond just a day in October but every day,” they said.
The post Oyebanji rewards Ekiti teachers with N70.5m appeared first on Vanguard News.