By Paul Joseph
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has rewarded outstanding students, teachers and academic achievers with cash prizes and automatic employment, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to promoting excellence in education.
Speaking at an award ceremony held on Tuesday at the Cocoa Conference Centre in Akure, the governor approved automatic employment into the Ondo State Public Service for seven recipients of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Presidential Honours Award.
He also presented ₦1 million each to 67 award recipients in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements and contributions to education.
Aiyedatiwa described the event as a celebration of excellence, saying education remains the bedrock of sustainable development and human capital growth.
He commended the awardees for bringing honour to Ondo State through academic excellence, innovation, discipline and dedication, urging them to remain worthy ambassadors of the Sunshine State.
The governor paid glowing tribute to teachers, describing them as the foundation of national development and the driving force behind every successful individual.
He noted that his administration’s OUR EASE agenda places education at the centre of development through investments in classroom infrastructure, modern learning facilities, teacher recruitment and training, digital education, technical and vocational training, improved workers’ welfare and safer learning environments.
According to him, the goal is to produce graduates who are not only academically sound but also innovative, entrepreneurial and globally competitive.
Among those honoured were 54 students who scored 300 and above in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), seven NYSC national award recipients, students who represented Ondo State and Nigeria in international academic competitions, including the National Spelling Bee Global Competition in the United States, the World Olympiad in Paris, France, and the International Chemistry Olympiad in Uzbekistan.
Two teachers—one each from the public and private school categories—also received national recognition for their outstanding contributions to education.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the awards were designed to encourage academic excellence and inspire students and teachers across the state.
He praised Governor Aiyedatiwa for prioritising education and creating a platform to recognise exceptional academic performance, expressing confidence that the initiative would motivate more learners and educators to strive for excellence.
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