Public Schools Shine as Abia Rewards Best Teachers, Science Students with Cash, Certificates

By Daniel Chibuike

Government-owned secondary schools in Abia State on Thursday, took the lead above their private school counterparts, at the maiden Teachers End of Academic Session Excellence Award Day (TEASEAD 2026), producers more best teachers and students in different categories.

The event, organised to celebrate excellence in teaching and learning at the end of the 2025/2026 academic session in Abia, was used to honour best teachers and students in key science subjects with certificates and cash rewards.

Among the major award recipients was Ebenezer Favour of Afugiri Girls Secondary School, Umuahia North, who distinguished herself as one of the outstanding students in the competition, emerging as the best in several science subjects, including Biology, Physics and Chemistry.

Her exceptional performance placed Afugiri Girls Secondary School Umuahia North LGA in the spotlight, demonstrating the capacity of public schools in Abia State to produce students who can compete favourably in science and other academic disciplines.

Afugiri Girls Secondary School also produced the Best Chemistry Teacher, Mrs. Uchenna Victoria and some other best teachers in Science.

Addressing the teachers and students at the event, Abia State Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, David Kalu said the science championship was organised by Assppaa-Isbors platform and the Abia State government to reward dedication and to advance science education .

Speaking on the Science Teachers’ Championship, the Chief Executive Officer of Assppaa-Isbors Platform Limited Patrick Ejike Ochuba, said the programme was established to identify, recognise, celebrate and reward outstanding science teachers and students in public and private secondary schools.

He urged the Federal and State government to enhance the welfare of Nigerian science teachers, saying that it would help the nation’s education sector and reduce deviant activities by young students.

Speaking at the event, the most outstanding student, Miss Ebenezer Favour Damilola of Afugiri Girls Secondary School who won more than twelve awards, explained that she avoided distractions and obeyed her science teachers, throughout the competition period.

Also speaking to Journalists, overall best Biology Teacher, Ugo Chima Juliet (Afugiri Girls Secondary School), Overall best Chemistry Teacher, Uchenna Victoria Ojimandu-Ikechukwu (Afugiri Girls Secondary School) and overall best Physics Teacher, Daniel Eguzoro of Wilcox School Aba North) won N250,000 each as for emerging overall best in that category.

They also won N100,000 prizes in other categories as best teachers in Public and Private Schools respectively.

For the overall best science students, they were rewarded with N50,000 each while another N20,000 was given to best science schools in public schools and Private schools respectively.

One of the best teachers from Mbala community Secondary School, a public school in Umunneochi LGA of Abia State, said that Nigerian teachers would continue to produce the best science students for Abia State and Nigeria, if they recieve more environments.

He thanked the organizers of the TEASEAD 2026 event for the initiative and urged all secondary schools and their students to participate in the competition.