Maltina Teacher of the year award: Nigerian Breweries extends entry to private schools

L-R: Mr. Victor Famuyibo, Human Resources Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Mrs. Rose Nkemdilim Obi, 2015 Maltina Teacher of the Year; Mr. Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc; and Mr. Wole Oyeniyi, Deputy General Secretary, Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT at the flagging off the 2016 Maltina Teacher of the Year in Lagos on Wednesday.

Nigerian Breweries Plc has extended the scope of the 2016 edition of the Maltina Teacher of-the Year initiative to privately owned secondary schools in the country.

In the maiden edition last year, the competition was limited to teachers in the nation’s public secondary schools.

The initiative with prizes worth N50 million annually, is to reward commitment and diligence to duty by exceptional teachers across the country. It is done on the platform of NB/Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust.

Kufre Ekanem, the company’s Corporate Affairs Adviser explained at a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday that the quality of the 2015 winner gave the organizers enough impetus to believe that teachers in the nation’s public schools can match their counterparts in the private schools. “Mrs. Rose Nkemdilim Obi, the 2015 winner turned out to be a good testimony.” he said.

Ekanem added that collection of applications has commenced and will last till 30th June 2016. Interested teachers are advised to download application forms from the Maltina website -www.maltina-nigeria.com. Applications forms should be completed and uploaded to the website or sent by email to [email protected] or post to P.M.B. 12632, Marina, Lagos.

As was the case in 2015, he disclosed that all eligible applications will be subjected to an intense selection and judging process.

According to him, “Our external and independent panel of judges will ensure transparency, credibility and objectivity of the initiative. The 5 – step evaluation process of the entries received will result in 37 champions (one per state and the FCT), subject to entries meeting the cut off mark set by the panel of judges. From amongst these State Champions, the Maltina Teacher of the Year 2016 will emerge. All State Champions and Winners will be celebrated and rewarded in a grand ceremony on October 12 2016 in commemoration of World Teachers Day. “

Like last year, Ekanem informed the media that each State Champion will get Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500, 000.00) and the Top 10 teachers will be recognized before the grand winners are announced. The 2nd and 1st runners-up will receive trophies and an additional Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N750, 000.00) and One Million Naira (N1, 000, 000.00) respectively.

The Maltina Teacher of the Year 2016 will get an additional One Million Naira (N1, 000, 000.00) instantly plus One Million Naira every year for the next five years, a development training opportunity abroad and a block of classrooms built at the school where he/she teaches.

“It is our hope that through the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative, we can inspire this nation to accord our teachers their deserved credit and bring back respect to the teaching profession in Nigeria. As partners for development, we call on all education stakeholders and solicit your support, our friends in the media, towards the success of this initiative,” he averred.

Also speaking at the occasion, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, Nigerian Breweries’ Human Resources Director affirmed that the initiative is aimed at promoting excellence in the teaching profession, and equally aids the development of teaching.

Speaking earlier, Mrs. Rose Nkemdilim Obi, ,the 2015 Maltina Teacher of the year disclosed that the award has opened several doors for her and thanked Nigerian Breweries and Maltina for the celebrating teachers and teaching profession. “Teaching is my passion. I love teaching. I enjoy my profession as a teacher, even though I have been getting a lot of tempting calls to leave,” she said.

Obi, who is equally a daughter of a teacher, teaches Mathematics and Chemistry at the Federal Government Girls College, FGGC Onitsha. The year 2000 graduate of Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Anambra State beat nine other finalists to the coveted prize.

Felix Ohiwerei is a former Chairman and CEO of the leading beverage conglomerate which has been operating in Nigeria since 1946. The Trust Fund was established in 1994, with a seed capital of N100 million, to contribute to the development of educational sector in the country.

Over the years, the company has used the fund to assist over 20,000 students, built over 250 classrooms and 22 libraries in both primary and secondary schools across 49 communities in the country.