A Lagos State teacher, Adeyemo Busayo, of Lanre Awolokun High School, has emerged as the winner of the 2026 Maltina Teacher of the Year competition, securing a N10m cash prize and a brand-new Honda HR-V.
Adeyemo was announced as the winner at the grand finale of the competition, held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, on Friday night.
The Maltina Teacher of the Year, which celebrates outstanding teachers, is organised by the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, in partnership with Union Bank, Air Peace, Eko Hotels and Suites, and Honda Manufacturing Nigeria Limited.
Adeyemo also won a N30m infrastructure development package for her school, a one-year supply of Maltina and an international capacity-building training programme.
The inclusion of a brand-new Honda HR-V in the winner’s prize package marks the first time the competition will reward its overall winner with a car.
Adeyemo succeeds 31-year-old Serah Yusuf of Wisdom International School of Excellence, Abuja, who won the 2025 edition.
Speaking after her emergence as finalist, Adeyemo said, “I’m grateful for the opportunities to teach, inspire, and make a difference in the lives of learners.”
Yusuf Cariyat, of Wisdom International School of Excellence, emerged as the first runner-up and received N5m, while Ephraim Jacob Inyangudo of Comprehensive Secondary School, Akwa Ibom State, came third and won N3m.
In a message celebrating her emergence as first runner-up, Cariyat expressed gratitude to God, describing the recognition as an experience beyond what she had imagined.
She dedicated the achievement to her students, saying their curiosity, projects and breakthroughs remained the motivation behind her commitment to teaching.
She also dedicated the recognition to Nigerian teachers, urging them to continue raising standards and demonstrating the impact of their work in classrooms and communities.
The competition attracted 2,243 valid entries from teachers across the country following the opening of submissions on August 7.
The 10 finalists, who emerged as state champions, included Egwu Ngozi of Ibeku High School, Abia State; Inyangudo of Comprehensive Secondary School, Akwa Ibom State; Edumu Christopher of MasterCare International School, Asaba, Delta State; and Isaac of Bethel Secondary School, Benin City, Edo State.
Others were Adeboye Vincent of Ikole City College, Ekiti State; Obiora Uzoamaka of Deeper Life High School, Enugu State; Cariyat of Wisdom International School of Excellence, Abuja; Adeyemo of Lanre Awolokun High School, Gbagada, Lagos State; Omotayo Akintunde of Ilugun High School Junior, Abeokuta, Ogun State; and Okegbemi Olukemi of Ilado/Sagbo Community Grammar School, Iseyin, Oyo State.
The finalists underwent online assessments and physical screening before a panel of judges, where they defended their entries and demonstrated their contributions to the teaching profession.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa; Chairman of the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, Thibaut Boidin; and the Lagos State Commissioner for Basic Education, Tolani Alli-Balogun, were among dignitaries at the event.
Sanwo-Olu, in a statement after the ceremony, commended Nigerian Breweries Plc for its sustained investment in education and recognition of outstanding teachers.
He described the competition as one of the credible platforms for celebrating excellence in teaching, adding that teachers deserved greater recognition and support because of their role in shaping children’s and the nation’s future.
“Our teachers deserve our recognition and support. Their work shapes the future of our children and the future of our nation. We must continue to invest in them and give them the support they need to do even more,” he said.
Adeyemo joins previous winners of the competition, including Rose Obi (Anambra, 2015); Imoh Essien (Akwa Ibom, 2016); Ariguzo Udochukwu (Delta, 2017); Olasunkanmi Opeifa (Abuja, 2018); Ezem (Abuja, 2019); Oluwabunmi Anani (Adamawa, 2020); Abanike Taiye (Delta, 2021); Ayiwulu Alaku (Plateau, 2022); Adeola Adefemi (Lagos, 2023); Esomnofu Chidiebube (Nasarawa, 2024); and Serah Yusuf (Abuja, 2025).