Busayo Adeyemo, a Lagos-based teacher, just walked away with one of the most generous prizes in Nigerian education: N10 million in cash, an SUV, and a three-bedroom flat.
Adeyemo claimed the top honour at the 2026 Maltina Teacher of the Year awards, a competition that has become one of the most anticipated celebrations of teaching excellence in the country.
The prize package says everything about how seriously this recognition takes the work of educators. A car, a home, and real money in the bank is the kind of reward that makes people sit up and reconsider what a career in teaching can look like.
With a Lagos classroom as his launching pad, Adeyemo's win is already sparking conversations about the teachers quietly doing extraordinary work in public schools across the country. Who gets celebrated next?
Originally published by BusinessDay.