The 2021 teaching excellence awards ceremony annually organized by Inoyo Toro Foundation has ended in Uyo, with 21 teachers and one principal carting home cash prizes amounting to 5.5 Million Naira.

Five of the teachers emerged Grand Mentors in five subjects, 16 won 1st, 2nd, 3rd places in six subjects and one head of school emerged winner of the 2021 Principal's Award. While Dick Collins Efre of Okoromita Comprehensive Secondary School, Okorette in Eastern Obolo LGA emerged the 2021 Grand Mentor in English Language and carted home an excellence award and prize of N500,000; Uduak Timothy Akpan of Community Secondary School, Iko Town, Eastern Obolo LGA won the 2021 Grand Mentor Teachers’ Award in Mathematics and returned home with an excellence award plus a cash prize of N500,000.

Other winners in the Grand Mentor Awards category who smiled home with N500,000 cash prizes were Ekere Robert Mkpa of Etinan Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Etinan, for Chemistry; Ephraim Jacob Inyangudo of Comprehensive Secondary School, Ediene Abak, for Physics; and Ekemini Emmanuel Isok of Secondary School, Etoi, Uyo, for Biology. Similarly, Eno Etukudo Ese, Principal of St. Francis Secondary School, Ikot Ataku in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State won the 2021 Principal’s Award, with a prize tag of N500,000.

The subject category winners for English Language were Kusua Senam Ukot, first position; Bella Bassey, 2nd position and John Effiong Udoh, 3rd position. For Mathematics, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners were Ekpedeme Cyril Akpan, Udeme Dickson Abraham and Cyril Iniobong Edet, respectively. Akpan Basil Inyang of Edu Secondary School in Mkpat Enin LGA won the first-place award and prize of N250,000 in Physics and Ekaete Rebecca Akpan of Etinan Institute, Etinan carted home similar award and prize, for Economics.

For Physics, Economics, Biology and Chemistry, the second and third place awards and prizes went to Friday Sunday Akpan and Odudu Etim Udoudom; Aniekan Udo and Kevin Kevin; Aniefiok Ekanem Antia and Unymeobong Isok; as well as Uduak Sunday David and Joshua Felix Effiong, respectively.

In their separate remarks, some of the visibly elated prize winners expressed profound gratitude to Inoyo Toro Foundation for recognizing and celebrating the contributions of teachers to society, noting that with initiatives like that of the Foundation, teachers are no longer waiting to receive their rewards in heaven, but have begun to get them here on earth.

They spoke of the rigorous but transparent selection processes they underwent, thanked the Foundation for sustaining the programme for fourteen years running, and called on other entities to emulate the good example, as means to inspiring teachers, mentoring students and improving the quality of education in Nigeria.

On his part, the Chairman of the Inoyo Toro Foundation Awards Screening Committee, Dr. Enobong Joshua congratulated the winning teachers and thanked the various players in the Foundation, the awards category sponsors, the mentors, the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education, the teachers, and all who contributed to the success of the programme. He specifically commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for recent recruiting of teachers, infrastructure projects in schools and for gradually implementing the recently instituted Education RoadMap for Akwa Ibom State.

The Guest Speaker at the event was Dr. Emmanuel Abraham, Proprietor of Topfaith Schools and University; while the Special Guest of Honour was the Managing Director of Development Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tony Okpanachi. Sponsors of the various awards included Mr. Aniekan Ukpanah, Boda Services Limited, Hensek Integrated Services Limited, Savannah Energy Plc, Anchor Insurance Ltd and Bassey Ukpong Udo Foundation.

Attendance at the ceremony included the Regional Manager, South East, Savannah Energy, Mrs. Nkoyo Etuk; Managing Director, HENSEK, Mr. Uwem Okoko; immediate past Vice Chairman of ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria and Advisor, Inoyo Toro Foundation, Mr. Udom Inoyo; Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo, Prof. Nyaudo Ndaeyo; Vice Chancellor, Akwa Ibom State University, Prof. Nse Essien; the State Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Hon. Charles Udoh; Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet; as well as the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Edet Okon Abang.

With the 22 latest beneficiaries, the total number of Akwa Ibom teachers and principals so far rewarded with cash prizes by Inoyo Toro Foundation in the last fourteen years, stands at 256 teachers and 4 principals; and so far, over 3,500 teachers have been trained, over 5,040 students have been mentored and over 90 schools in Akwa Ibom State have been positively impacted.

In the last fourteen years, Inoyo Toro Foundation has remained consistent in the development of capacities in Akwa Ibom State, with beneficiaries cutting across various spheres including teachers, students, schools, libraries, laboratories, lawyers, journalists, medical workers, techies, film makers, writers, actors and actresses, entrepreneurs, youths and women across various Akwa Ibom communities.