Kwara To Buy Dangote Refinery Shares For Female Teachers

Kwara State Government has announced plans to buy shares in the Dangote Refinery Initial Public Offering (IPO) for female teachers in the state.

The plan is part of a new initiative to promote investment and financial inclusion among educators.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq disclosed this on Monday in Ilorin while speaking at an event organised to mark the 2026 World Teachers’ Day.

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The Governor also presented about N120 million in awards to outstanding teachers, head teachers, principals and schools.

The governor said the state would purchase 10,000 shares for 10 female teachers in each of the outstanding public schools.

He added that the scheme would also be extended to outstanding retired female teachers.

He said the initiative was being developed in partnership with the Dangote Foundation to encourage women to move beyond earning income to building assets through investment and share ownership.

“Dangote has created the Dangote Foundation, providing subscription grounds for women only. For every ten shares we purchase they will give a grant of another ten shares making twenty shares,” AbdulRazaq said.

He said “Our hardworking women teachers in TESCOM and SUBEB will get ten shares each. We will also extend it to the retired female teachers so that peace and prosperity will go round them.”

AbdulRazaq directed the Head of Service, Dr Olufunke Mercy Shittu, to work out modalities for capturing qualified retired female teachers under the initiative.

The governor said the investment programme was part of wider efforts to improve the welfare and economic opportunities available to teachers in the state.

He said his administration would continue to prioritise teachers because of their central role in determining the quality of education and, ultimately, the future of the state.

“We will continue to do our part, including improving your welfare and working conditions on a sustainable basis. We are confident that you and other stakeholders will always do your part,” he said.

The governor also presented financial awards totalling about N120 million to outstanding education stakeholders across different categories.

While 29 best principals and head teachers received N29 million, 119 outstanding teachers received N59.5 million.

Eleven serving and retired university dons were presented with N22 million under the Pioneer Professorship Recognition Awards, while three schools received N9 million for the Best Kept School Award.

AbdulRazaq said the recognition was designed to reward sacrifice and motivate educators to sustain their contributions to the state’s education system.

He said the administration’s education reforms had focused on improving both the quality of teaching and learning, citing merit-based recruitment, continuous professional development, improved school infrastructure and the use of technology and data through KwaraLEARN.

The governor also highlighted the regular promotion of teachers and implementation of the 27.5 per cent Teachers’ Specific Allowance as measures aimed at improving their welfare.

According to him, the interventions were yielding results, particularly in the performance of Kwara pupils at national and international competitions.

The Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof Sheu Raheem Adaramaja, announced that the 2026 promotion exercise for eligible teachers had been approved by the state government.

Adaramaja said the promotion examination would hold on October 10, adding that Kwara would be the first state in the federation to conduct its 2026 promotion exercise for eligible teachers.

Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, said the award programme demonstrated that hard work deserved recognition.

He urged the awardees to sustain their performance and encouraged teachers across the state to continue developing themselves professionally.

The former Kwara State NLC chairman and keynote speaker, Comrade Umar Farooq, said supporting teachers should be regarded as an investment in children, communities and society.

The state NUT chairman, Comrade Yusuf Wahab Agboola, thanked the government for its interventions in school infrastructure and teachers’ welfare, while urging it to adopt the national harmonised retirement age for teachers.