Maltina Teacher of the Year 2026 Opens for Entries as Winner Gets Honda HR-V, N10m, Other Prizes

The organisers of the Maltina Teacher of the Year (MTOTY) Award have unveiled a Honda HR-V as an additional grand prize for the winner of the 2026 edition as entries officially open for the annual competition.

The vehicle, donated by Honda Automobile Nigeria Limited, was presented on Wednesday, June 3, during the launch of the 12th edition of the award, organised by the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund.

The unveiling marked the commencement of another cycle of the initiative, which has become one of Nigeria’s leading platforms for recognising and rewarding outstanding teachers since its inception in 2015.

Entries for the 2026 competition opened on June 3 and will close on August 7, according to the organisers.

Beyond the newly introduced Honda HR-V, the overall winner will receive a N10 million cash prize, an overseas capacity development training programme, a school infrastructure project, and a one-year supply of Maltina.

The first runner-up will receive N5 million, while the second runner-up will get N3 million and other rewards. State champions across the country will also receive N1 million each.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the headquarters of Nigerian Breweries Plc in Iganmu, Lagos, the Company Secretary/Legal Director and Secretary of the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, Mr. Uaboi Agbebaku, said the initiative was established to celebrate the vital role teachers play in national development.

He said the MTOTY was introduced as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts within the education sector to acknowledge and reward teachers for their contributions to learning and the development of young Nigerians.

Since its launch, the competition has attracted 11,723 entries, produced 305 state champions and crowned 11 national winners.

Previous overall winners include Mrs. Rose Nkemdilim Obi (2015), Mr. Imoh Enoh Essien (2016), Mr. Ariguzo Udochukwu (2017), Mr. Olasunkanmi Opeifa (2018), Mr. Ezem Collins (2019), Ms. Oluwabunmi Anani (2020), Mr. Abanika Taiye (2021), Mr. Ayiwulu Alaku (2022), Ms. Adeola Adefemi (2023), Mr. Esomnofu Chidiebube (2024), and Ms. Serah Yusuf (2025).

At the event, education stakeholders commended Nigerian Breweries for sustaining the initiative, which they said has improved public recognition of teachers and the teaching profession.

However, concerns were raised over the growing security challenges facing schools across the country, particularly following recent incidents of kidnappings involving teachers and students.

The State Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos State Wing, Mr. Olugbenga Ayetoba, lamented what he described as poor welfare conditions for teachers, including inadequate remuneration, unfavourable working environments and increasing insecurity.

Representatives of the NUT and the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), led by Mr. Olusola Masheyi, stressed the need for governments at all levels to prioritise the protection of schools, teachers and learners.

“A situation in which teachers are afraid to go to school, and where children and teachers are taken to the Bush by kidnappers, is a doomed one,” they lamented.

The stakeholders urged authorities to strengthen security around educational institutions to guarantee a safe environment for teaching and learning across the country.