Access to digital learning facilities and recognition of teaching excellence are receiving further private-sector support through Union Bank of Nigeria’s partnership with the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative and the commissioning of a digital learning centre in Abuja.
The bank said its education interventions are aimed at improving access to learning, strengthening educational quality and equipping students with skills needed for higher education and examinations.
Union Bank sponsored the 2026 Maltina Teacher of the Year Award Grand Finale, held on October 30 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, marking its third consecutive year of partnership with the competition, which is in its 12th edition.
Busayo Victoria Adeyemo of Lanre Awolokun High School, Gbagada, Lagos, emerged the overall winner from 10 finalists selected from more than 2,000 entries nationwide.
She received ₦10 million, a new Honda SUV, an international capacity development programme and a ₦30 million infrastructure project for her school.
Speaking at the ceremony, Union Bank’s Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, Olufunmilola Aluko, said teachers remained central to the bank’s Edu360 education initiative, which operates under its UnionCares platform.
She said the competition had recognised more than 300 teachers, describing it as a sustained private-sector commitment to the teaching profession.
The bank’s education partnership also extended to Abuja, where it supported the commissioning of a Digital Learning Centre at Wisdom International School of Excellence, Sauka, Lugbe.
The centre, developed by the Nigerian Breweries/Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund in honour of 2025 Maltina Teacher of the Year, Serah Yusuf, provides computers, internet connectivity and facilities for computer-based examinations.
The facility is expected to help students develop digital skills and prepare for examinations conducted electronically, including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination.
Union Bank’s Abuja 2 Area Business Executive, Francis Anaemene, said the centre represented the outcome of the bank’s support for the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative.
The bank said its Edu360 programme, established in 2018, focuses on improving access to education, enhancing quality and optimising learning outcomes through partnerships across industries.
Its interventions align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive and equitable quality education.