Anambra Teacher Wins ₦25 Million at National Teachers’ Summit — A Triumph for Educators and the Classroom

In a powerful moment of recognition for Nigeria’s education sector, an Anambra State teacher, Chekwube Ifentike, emerged as one of the top winners at the 2026 National Teachers’ Summit, walking away with ₦25 million — a juicy signal that excellence in teaching is finally being rewarded at the highest levels. 

The summit, which was held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja, was organised by the office of the First Lady in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education under the theme “Empowering Teachers, Strengthening the System: A National Agenda for Education Transformation and Sustainability.” 

Celebrating Excellence in Teaching

Chekwube Ifentike, who teaches at Government Technical College, Onitsha, didn’t just show up — he excelled. His performance earned him a standout award at the summit, where twelve outstanding teachers from across Nigeria were honoured based on merit and rigorous evaluation. 

A total of 12 teachers were recognised, including six from basic education and six from senior secondary levels, each receiving ₦25 million as a cash prize. The overall Best Teacher of the Summit—not from Anambra—took home a larger grand prize of ₦50 million, along with additional gifts such as a car and a furnished home pledged by state governors. 

This marked a historic moment for teacher recognition in Nigeria — a sector long undervalued despite its foundational role in shaping the nation’s future. 

How the Awards Work

Teachers were nominated from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with a transparent merit-based process narrowing hundreds of nominees down to a final group of 12. The selection criteria focused on:

Classroom innovation

Impact on students’ learning outcomes

Professional contributions to school and community

Leadership in advancing education goals in their regions 

Anambra’s winning entry wasn’t an anomaly — it’s part of a broader pattern of excellence. In recent years, educators from Anambra have consistently performed well in national competitions, reflecting the state’s emphasis on quality teaching and smart investment in schools. 

What This Means for Teachers and Students

Beyond the big cheques, this kind of recognition serves multiple purposes:

Elevating the profession: Teaching in Nigeria has long been a noble calling overshadowed by financial and social challenges. Tangible rewards like these help raise the profession’s prestige and encourage talented individuals to stay in or enter the field. 

Inspiring other educators: When educators like Ifentike are publicly celebrated, it sends a clear message: excellence in teaching matters and can be rewarded. That motivates others to innovate and pursue best practices in classrooms nationwide. 

Signalling policy priorities: The summit and its awards come amid a broader federal push to empower teachers and strengthen education systems — including the launch of teacher professional development platforms like EduRevamp, designed to boost skills and classroom impact. 

Voices from Anambra and Beyond

In response to Ifentike’s win, Anambra State’s Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, praised the teacher’s achievement and credited the milestone to the state government’s consistent investment in education — especially under the leadership of Gov. Chukwuma Soludo, whose policies have focused on funding and improving schooling outcomes. 

Her message was clear: this isn’t just one person’s success — it’s proof that dedicated investment in teachers and schools pays real dividends. 

A Milestone for Nigerian Education

The 2026 summit wasn’t simply an awards ceremony — it was a statement of intent. After years of talk about reform, recognition and incentives of this scale signal to teachers, students, and communities that education is finally being taken seriously as a foundation for national development. 

For Chekwube Ifentike and his peers, the message is empowering: your work shapes futures, and now — finally — that work is worth celebrating in the nation’s capital, across the federation, and with real financial rewards to match.