By Seyi Balogun, Lagos

The emergence of Nigeria’s Overall Best Teacher for 2026 at the Federal Government’s President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards, Mary Oluwaseun Adebayo, once a private school teacher, shows that where you start in life does not matter.

Adebayo received the national recognition during the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja, where she was rewarded with a brand-new car as the star prize.

While receiving the car on Teacher’s Day, she expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying she had continued teaching without any inkling that her efforts would earn her such a reward. In her words:

“I started this work in a private school. I kept doing the work, I did not know the Lord will reward me this way.”

From the Best Public Senior Secondary School Teacher category, she went on to emerge the overall best teacher in the country.

For achieving the feat, Nawair-Ud-Deen Grammar School, Obantoko Old Students Association, NUDGOSA, on Friday, congratulated her describing her achievement as a source of pride for the school and its community.

NUDGOSA in a statement signed by the association’s National Public Relations Officer, Sanni Damilola, said her recognition reflected her commitment to teaching and the advancement of education in Nigeria.

It added that her emergence had brought honour to the school, from whose classrooms she rose to national recognition.

“NUDGOSA is particularly proud that one of our own has risen to the pinnacle of the teaching profession in Nigeria.”

The association also said the award was an inspiration to current students, teachers, alumni and the wider school community, noting that it demonstrated how dedication and commitment to service could earn national recognition.

On behalf of the association’s national executive and members, its National President, Hon. Fasiu Bakenne, congratulated Adebayo, the school’s management and staff, and the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission.

Relatedly, a
lawmaker, Nasir Gboyega Isiaka, also congratulated Adebayo, describing her emergence as Nigeria’s Overall Best Teacher as a source of pride for Afon, Imeko-Afon and the wider constituency.

In a congratulatory message on Friday titled, “Celebrating Excellence: Congratulations to Nigeria’s Best Teacher,” Isiaka described Adebayo as an illustrious daughter of Afon, Imeko-Afon, and said her achievement demonstrated the level of excellence within local communities.

He said education remained important to his service to the constituency, adding that investing in education was essential to expanding opportunities for young people.

“Dr. Adebayo’s achievement therefore resonates deeply with the work we have continued to pursue in strengthening education and supporting those who dedicate their lives to it,” he said.

Isiaka said the award had brought honour to Afon, Imeko-Afon and the entire constituency, while wishing Adebayo greater success in her professional service and future endeavours.

The 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration was held under the theme, “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing the Status and Shaping Our Future.”

By Son Tertsea

The Governing Council of Philomath University, Abuja, has appointed Professor Ukertor Gabriel Moti as Acting Vice Chancellor, succeeding Professor Gylych Jelilov whose tenure has abated.

Professor Ukertor Gabriel Moti is currently on sabbatical at Philomath University.

This was announced in a statement signed by Engr. Damilola Silas, the Registrar of Philomath University, Abuja

Professor Moti is a distinguished scholar, accomplished administrator and internationally recognised expert in public sector management, governance and leadership. He brings to the role decades of experience in teaching, research, institutional administration, programme evaluation and educational reform. He’s widely regarded as an adaptable, resourceful and results-oriented professional, who has consistently developed and implemented strategies that enhance academic standards and organisational performance.

An international leadership expert, speaker and trainer, Professor Moti is certified by the Maxwell Leadership team to facilitate, coach and deliver leadership and professional development programmes worldwide. He is also a Certified Management Consultant and Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants. He previously served as President of the Institute of Management Consultants Nigeria and is licensed to provide training on the ISO 20700:2017 standard on behalf of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes.

Professor Moti made history as the first Nigerian and second African to be inducted as a CMC-Global Academic Fellow by the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes in Zurich. His international engagements include involvement with the International Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance in the United Kingdom and the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM).

He also serves as Chief Editor of the African Journal of Public Administration and Management (AJPAM) in Nairobi.

His extensive governance experience includes service at the University of Abuja and the International Commission on the Accreditation of Public Administration Education and Training. He is a member of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), Belgium. A former member of the Governing Council of the University of Abuja, he currently chairs the Governing Council of the College of Education, Katsina-Ala.

Professor Moti has served as a Visiting Scholar at KU Leuven, Belgium, where he contributed to African-European academic collaborations. He is also a Research Fellow at the African Centre for the Study of the United States, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and is affiliated with the Gulf Research Center at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

From 2021 to 2025, he served two terms as Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Abuja. He also served briefly as Director of the Abuja Leadership Centre, a TETFund Centre of Excellence in Governance and Leadership.

Professor Moti holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political and Administrative Studies from the University of Port Harcourt, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Lagos and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Benin. Having risen through the academic ranks from Lecturer II to Professor, he has presented scholarly papers at international conferences in more than 40 countries.

The Governing Council and the entire Philomath University community warmly welcome Professor Ukertor Gabriel Moti to his new role. The University is confident that his wealth of experience, academic distinction and visionary leadership will strengthen the institution and advance its pursuit of excellence, innovation and global relevance.

By Seyi Balogun, Lagos

Nigeria must not allow the size and the number of universities to come at the expense of quality, was the advise of Founder of Zenith Bank and Founder/Chairman, Board of Trustees of James Hope University, Mr Jim Ovia.

Ovia said this recently in Lagos at the launch of the book, “Education Quality Assurance in Higher Institutions” written by the Director, Monitoring and Inspection, Lagos State Ministry of Tertiary Education, Dr. Mrs Yemisi Omoloye.

Jim Ovia, who was represented as Chief Launcher by the President and Vice-Chancellor of James Hope University, Prof. Olu Akinkugbe, said quality assurance remains the foundation for producing leaders and innovators, and the book provides a roadmap for that journey.

Speaking on behalf of Jim Ovia, Akinkugbe said:

“At James Hope University, we are not just building an institution, we are building a legacy, and legacy cannot be built on a weak foundation. Quality assurance is the cement that holds that foundation together. Mr Jim Ovia’s vision is to create a world-class institution that produces not just graduates, but leaders, innovators, distruptors, and problem-solvers, and that vision is impossible without a stringent and forward-thinking approach to quality assurance.”

The book launch was held at the Lagos State Education Resource Centre, Ojodu, Berger, Lagos.

Ovia noted that the book confronts the question as to whether Nigeria, with about 312 universities plus polytechnics and colleges of education, and with Lagos State alone having about 59 higher education institutions, and Ogun State about 49 of the same, is growing in quantity at the expense of quality.

“This book confronts that question head-on, and it provides a comprehensive framework covering curriculum, faculty performance, infrastructure, governance and student support, to ensure our universities can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the world,” he said.

He described Dr. Omoloye as a custodian of standards, noting that her dual role as Director in the Ministry, and member of the Governing Council of James Hope University, representing the Lagos State Government, shows that regulation should be a collaborative partnership.

“Dr Omoloye is not just the one who inspects our work, she is a vital part of the team that helps us define and achieve our goals. She brings the regulator’s sharp, objective eye to the council table, and she brings the council’s commitment to innovation back to the regulatory body,” he added.

He called on policymakers, administrators, regulators and educators to use the book as a constant reference point to improve standards.

“Let us embrace its principles and work collaboratively to build a system of higher education in Nigeria that we can all be proud of. May this book catalyse the positive, radical change our nation so desperately needs,” he said.

The launch was attended by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Lagos State, Honourable Tolani Sule, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Honourable Tokunbo Wahab, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Mr Adeniran Kasali, former Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, and other vice-chancellors, school proprietors and directors.