The Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund has opened entries for the 2026 edition of the Maltina Teacher of the Year competition, offering one of the most substantial reward packages available to educators in Nigeria.
Applications for the 12th edition of the competition opened on June 3 and will close on August 7, 2026, with secondary school teachers across the country invited to submit entries.
This year’s overall winner will receive ₦10 million in cash, a brand-new Honda HR-V, a year’s supply of Maltina and an overseas capacity-development training opportunity. In addition, the winner’s school will benefit from an infrastructure project valued at ₦30 million.
The first and second runners-up will receive ₦5 million and ₦3 million respectively, while state champions will each receive ₦1 million and recognition plaques.
Announcing the commencement of entries in Lagos, Secretary of the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, Uaboi Agbebaku, described the initiative as a platform for recognising teachers whose commitment and innovation continue to shape lives and strengthen Nigeria’s education system.
Agbebaku also disclosed that additional organisations have expressed interest in supporting the programme, prompting the Trust Fund to open partnership opportunities to institutions that share its vision of advancing educational development in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Public Relations Officer of the Trust Fund, Uzodinma Odenigbo, reaffirmed Nigerian Breweries’ commitment to supporting education through long-term interventions designed to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
“The Maltina Teacher of the Year Competition remains one of our flagship interventions in the education sector,” he said. “Through this initiative, we continue to celebrate teachers who go beyond the classroom to inspire excellence, nurture future leaders and contribute meaningfully to national development.”
Beyond celebrating outstanding teachers, the launch event also highlighted broader concerns about the state of education and the teaching profession in Nigeria.
Delivering the keynote address, education advocate Azeez Saheed called for greater recognition and support for teachers, arguing that many educators continue to make significant contributions despite limited rewards and public appreciation.
During a panel discussion on educational support and learning outcomes, stakeholders from across the sector echoed concerns about infrastructure deficits, teacher welfare and declining interest in the profession.
Lagos State Coordinator of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Princess Adaobi Ekwuno, stressed the need for sustained investment in public school infrastructure, while Lagos State Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Gbenga Ayetoba, argued that years of neglect had weakened the attractiveness of teaching as a career.
President of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS), Lagos State chapter, Olushola Masheyi, noted that the profession was increasingly struggling to attract top talent, a trend he linked to broader concerns about educational quality.
For Nigerian Breweries, the competition represents one of its longest-running social impact initiatives and reflects a growing trend among leading consumer goods companies to invest in education as part of their sustainability and community development strategies.
Established in 2015, the Maltina Teacher of the Year competition is funded through the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, which was created in 1994 to support educational development across Nigeria.
Over the past three decades, the Trust Fund has supported classroom construction, libraries, sanitary facilities and scholarship programmes across the country’s six geopolitical zones. According to the organisation, more than 400 classrooms and related educational facilities have been built or furnished in 74 communities nationwide.
The competition enjoys the endorsement of the Federal Ministry of Education and key education stakeholders, including the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS) and the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
Eligible teachers can submit their applications through the competition portal before the August 7 deadline.
Why It Matters
The launch of the 2026 Maltina Teacher of the Year competition comes at a time when conversations around education in Nigeria increasingly extend beyond learning outcomes to include infrastructure, teacher welfare and school safety.
Recent incidents involving attacks and abductions in vulnerable school communities have highlighted the risks associated with inadequate infrastructure and limited security provisions in parts of the country’s education system. Combined with longstanding concerns over funding, facilities and teacher retention, they underscore the scale of the challenges confronting the sector.
Against this backdrop, initiatives such as Maltina Teacher of the Year illustrate the growing role private-sector organisations are playing in complementing government efforts. Through teacher recognition, infrastructure support and broader educational interventions, programmes like these help direct resources and attention to areas where they are most needed.
For Nigerian Breweries, the programme has evolved beyond a corporate social responsibility initiative into a national platform for recognising excellence in teaching and reinforcing the value of educators in nation-building. At a time when the quality of education remains closely tied to Nigeria’s long-term social and economic development, sustained investment in teachers may prove as important as investment in classrooms themselves.
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