By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
The Federal Government has introduced a digital system for selecting recipients of the 2026 President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards, replacing the manual process used in previous years.
The new system, according to the government, is aimed at improving transparency, accountability and documentation in the identification and recognition of outstanding teachers and schools across the country.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday while briefing journalists ahead of the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration scheduled for October 5.
Ahmad said the digitalisation of the selection process was carried out in line with African Union guidelines to provide a more secure and traceable framework for identifying deserving education stakeholders.
“For the first time, the selection process coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Education was digitalised in line with the African Union guidelines to ensure certainty, accountability and reference,” she said.
The development marks a shift in the Federal Ministry of Education’s approach to the annual awards, with technology now being deployed in the administration and selection process.
The 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration, organised annually by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), will be held under the theme, “Transforming the Teaching Profession for Africa’s Future.”
According to the minister, the theme focuses on five key areas: innovation, mobility, artificial intelligence, inclusion and professional excellence.
She said the focus was to encourage teachers to adopt innovative teaching methods and digital tools, promote professional collaboration and mobility, responsibly harness artificial intelligence, advance inclusive education and strengthen continuous professional development.
Ahmad disclosed that 14 teachers, schools and other education stakeholders would be honoured under the 2026 President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards.
She said the first-, second- and third-best teachers would receive special prizes, while other award recipients would be presented with laptops.
Teachers from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are expected to participate in the October 5 celebration, which will also feature a march-past by participants carrying the flags of their respective states.
The ministry said the activities were designed to celebrate teachers and highlight the role of education in promoting national unity, diversity and cooperation.
NUT backs technology, urges support for teachers
Meanwhile, the NUT has cautioned against allowing the rapid transformation of education through technology and artificial intelligence to diminish the professional role of teachers.
Speaking on behalf of NUT President, Comrade Titus Amba, the union’s Deputy National President, Kizito Kalu, said technological advancement should instead be used to strengthen teachers and improve their capacity to deliver quality education.
Kalu said a sustainable education system could not be built without teachers who were respected, adequately supported and professionally equipped.
“The NUT believes that a strong education system cannot be built without a strong, respected and adequately supported teaching profession,” he said.
He added that teachers must be adequately prepared to operate in an education environment increasingly shaped by technology and artificial intelligence.
“The future of education must therefore be a future in which teachers are empowered to adapt, innovate and continue to exercise their professional judgement,” Kalu said.
World Teachers’ Day is observed globally on October 5 and has been celebrated since 1994.
The 2026 observance also marks the 60th anniversary of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which established international standards relating to teachers’ rights and responsibilities, preparation, recruitment, employment and working conditions.
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