Two Nigerian teachers, Ayodele Odeogbola and Itodo Anthony, have been shortlisted among 50 teachers worldwide for the Global Teachers Prize scheduled to hold in Dubai, United Arab Emirates early 2018.
The winner of the prize, sponsored by Valkey Foundation “to recognize one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession”, will receive a $1 million (approx. N307 million) reward.
Odeogbola teaches STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education and global studies at Abeokuta Grammar School, Ogun State to pupils aged 11-15. The Tai Solarin University graduate of Education with over 10 years experience, uses technology to transform learning to ensure his students become future leaders and stakeholders in their world. His passion for innovation has seen him use technology to improve the learning experience of his students, using Skype and social media to link his students to peers in schools in India and Lebanon.
Itodo is a Chemistry and Physics Teacher at Gateway Excel College, Ogeneago Otukpa, Benue state. He has a first degree in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, and went ahead to Study Reservoir Evaluation and Management for his Master’s at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus. Not many with his qualifications will teach in a village school, where he teaches the virtues of justice, institutional soundness, community service, value creation, among others, all elements from other cultures that can help create an ideal value system among Nigerian youth.
The duo make a final shortlist of 50 from a list of 30,000 teachers from 173 countries nominated for the four-year-old prize, the first time for any Nigerian teacher.
The prize will be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on Sunday March 18, 2018.