Three teachers from Oyo State have won awards in various categories of the 2023 Presidential Teachers and School Excellence Awards.

The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abdulwaheed Adelabu, disclosed this on Thursday in Ibadan during the celebration of the World Teachers’ Day.

Adelabu said the trio are among the several winners who were drawn from different public and private primary and secondary schools across the country.

The commissioner who was represented at the occasion by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Adeniyi Olusanjo, said the lucky teachers received their awards in Abuja.

He listed the awardees as including Samson Babarinlo, who is the Head Teacher at Methodist Basic School in Iseyin, and Mr Joseph Amoo, the Principal of Government College, Ibadan.

The third awardee is Olatunde Odejayi, who is the Proprietor of Second Home College at Olodo in Ibadan.

Adelabu, while congratulating the winners, reiterated Oyo State Government’s focus on reforms in the education sector, including the recruitment of more teachers into the state’s primary school sector.

“The recruitment and posting of teachers to all our public secondary schools, prompt payment of salaries and good working condition are now the order of the day in Oyo state.

“Efforts are ongoing to recruit teachers at the primary school level. In addition, we have gone a long way in addressing the issue of out-of-school children,” he said.

The commissioner applauded the efforts of all teachers and their union — the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT)  —- being pillars of support to the present administration.

He therefore appealed to teachers in the state to reciprocate the good gesture of the government by rendering good service to the state’s education sector.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman, Oyo State Teaching Service Commission, Pastor Akinade Alamu, applauded Gov. Seyi Makinde for making the teaching profession attractive in the state.

“Though the teaching profession is still faced with some challenges, the state government is however poised to make life more meaningful for teachers,” he said.

In his address, the state chairman of NUT, Mr Oladimeji Raji, appreciated the state government for creating an enabling environment for teachers to exhibit their talents.

Raji urged the Makinde administration to continue providing dividends of democracy to teachers in the state,