Nigerian Breweries Plc has announced the opening of entries for the 2016 edition of the Maltina Teacher of the Year, an initiative to recognize and celebrate exceptional teachers in the country. While unveiling plans for the programme at a press conference in Lagos recently, the Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Kufre Ekanem, stated that the company has expanded the focus to include teachers from private secondary schools across the country.
According to Mr Ekanem, collection of applications opened on 27th April 2016 and would last till 30th June 2016. Interested teachers are to download application forms from the Maltina website –www.maltina-nigeria.com. Applications forms should be completed and uploaded to the website or sent by email to maltinateacheroftheyear@heineken.com or by post to P.M.B. 12632, Marina, Lagos.
All applications will be subjected to an intense selection and judging process. An external and independent panel of judges has been constituted to ensure transparency, credibility and objectivity of the initiative. The 5 – step evaluation process of the entries received will result in 37 champions (one per state and the FCT), subject to entries meeting the cut off mark set by the panel of judges. Each state champion will receive N500, 000.00. From amongst these State Champions, the Maltina Teacher of the Year will emerge. All State Champions and National Winners will be celebrated in a grand ceremony on October 12 2016 in commemoration of World Teachers Day.
The overall winner gets N1million cash for five years, to be drawn at the end of the end of every year. Additionally, the winner is also entitled to overseas training while the school he or she represents also gets a classroom block. While the first runner-up gets N1million, the second runner up will take home N750, 000.00. This is in addition to the N500, 000.00 they would have received as state champions.
According to Ekanem, “It is our hope that through the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative, we can inspire this nation to accord our teachers their deserved credit and bring back respect to the teaching profession in Nigeria”.
Earlier, Mrs Rose Nkemdilim Obi, winner of the maiden edition of the Maltina Teacher of the Year, emphasized that the laudable initiative has exposed her to numerous opportunities and strengthened her pride in her profession as a teacher. Mrs Obi who spoke at the event hailed the initiative, adding that “Maltina must be commended for the initiative aimed at restoring the pride of the teaching profession in Nigeria”.
