Maltina’s ‘flight’ to rebrand the status of teachers across the country took off about six months ago. But on Monday, 12th October, 2015, the Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, in his welcome address, set the tone for the grand finale of the Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year, in Lagos, when he explained that the theme of this year’s Teacher’s Day celebration, “Empowering Teachers, Building Sustainable Societies” aptly captures what the company believes should be the role relevant stakeholders play for the overall good of the Nigerian teacher and by extension, the Nigerian nation.
(From left to right - Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde handling the trophy to the Mrs. Rose Obi Nkedilim, winner, 2015 Maltina Teacher of the Year.)
| The finalists who fought "the last battle" for the Maltina Teacher of the Year |
He added that Nigerian Breweries operates with a philosophy of “Winning with Nigeria” and has championed causes that add value to the society since inception in 1946. “In 1994, we raised the profile of our support of the Education sector when we established the Nigerian Breweries – Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund to enable us contribute to the development of the sector,”
“Over the years, the Fund has impacted over 20,000 students with classrooms, libraries, laboratories, etc in over 40 communities across Nigeria. Our intervention has spanned through primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education. These efforts are to improve educational standards in the country as part of our sustainability agenda. In looking back, one critical group was missing: the teachers,” he said.
He noted that everywhere in the world, teachers play a vital role in sustainable national development by training, coaching and modeling which is critical to determining the quality of education. “However, everyone acknowledges that these teachers seldom get the recognition they deserve. It was to address this missing link that we launched the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative in May,” he submitted.
Speaking at the launch of the Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year on Wednesday, 20th May, 2015, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, Nigerian Breweries’ Human Resources Director, described teachers as builders of the wealth of nations who deserved to be recognised, encouraged and celebrated. “Everywhere in the world, teachers play a vital role in training, coaching and determining the quality of education and this is critical to sustainable national development,” he added.
Corroborating, Kufre Ekanem, the Company’s Corporate Affairs Adviser averred that “Everywhere in the world, Teachers play a vital role in training, coaching and determining the quality of education and this is critical to sustainable national development.”However, Ekanem noted that these moulders of the society seldom get the recognition they deserve.
| From left to right - Mr. Daniel Sunday Udiong, second runner-up, 2015 Maltina Teacher of the Year; Mrs Rose Obi Nkemdili, winner, Maltina Teacher of the Year; and Mrs. Binta Mohammed Lawan, first runner-up, Maltina Teacher of the Year |
To champion a movement to remedy this situation, the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund established the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative with the aim to recognising and celebrating exceptional teachers from across the country. “As it is widely said, the children are the future of the nation and whatever you do for a child ultimately impacts the nation. Our objective is to create an avenue where exceptional teachers will be showcased and rewarded annually and continuously,” he said.
As teachers in Nigeria joined their counterparts in other parts of the world to mark this year’s World Teachers’ Day on October 5, 2015, the issue of welfare took a center stage. The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) reiterated its call for an improved welfare package for its members across the country. The union called on individuals, institutions, industries and governments at national and state levels to rise up and uplift the status of teachers.
The long held belief that teachers’ reward is in heaven however gave way on Monday, October 12th, 2015, when the heaven opened to drop the reward on the occasion of the grand finale of the Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year in Lagos.
The award instituted by Maltina, the non-alcoholic malt brand from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc, is courtesy of Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund. It is aimed at restoring the pride of teachers and the dignity of the teaching profession.
The quest for the best teacher in public secondary schools in Nigeria however came to a glorious end inside the prestigious Oriental Hotel, Lekki-Lagos, when a 37 year-old teacher from Anambra State, Mrs. Rose Nkemdilim Obi emerged winner of the maiden edition of the Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year.
Obi, who is equally a daughter of a teacher, teaches Mathematics and Chemistry atthe 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. The ten finalists who slugged it out at the final lap, were winners from Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Imo, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States.
The first runner-up was Mrs. Binta Mohammed Lawan of Federal Government College Maiduguri, Borno State, in the war ravaged North East, while her counterpart from Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Daniel Sunday Udiong emerged as the second runner-up.
For their effort, the national winner got one million and another one million naira will be paid into her account annually for five years. Obi will also be sent abroad for professional training on the bill of Nigerian Breweries/Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, just as the Federal Government Girls College Onitsha, Obi’s school, has also become an instant beneficiary of a block of six classrooms.
The first runner-up got one million naira plus another five hundred thousand naira finalists’ prize money, while the second runner-up took seven hundred and fifty naira and another five hundred thousand naira for getting to the finals.
Ohiwerei is the first indigenous Chairman of the leading beverage conglomerate which has been operating in the country 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.
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