It was another moment of pride for Wisdom International School of Excellence (WISE), Sauka, Abuja, as one of its teachers, Mrs. Cariyat Yusuf Olorunfemi, emerged as the 1st Runner-up at the 2026 Maltina Teacher of the Year Awards held yesterday at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Maltina Teacher of the Year, now in its 12th edition, is Nigeria’s most coveted teaching award, organized by Nigerian Breweries Plc to celebrate exceptional teachers in public and private secondary schools across the country. This year’s grand finale attracted top finalists from 36 states, education stakeholders, and dignitaries.
Mrs. Olorunfemi, a dedicated Basic Science and Entrepreneurship / Blue Skills Development teacher at WISE, was celebrated for her innovative teaching methodology, particularly her integration of Blue Skills and aquaculture-based entrepreneurship into classroom learning. Through her leadership of the Girl Education GEMS with Cariyat, Environmental education and Enterprenurship development WISE Blue in Sauka, she has transformed the school’s community into an environment of building future leaders and environmental stewardship.
According to the judges, her approach to learner-centred, practical education and her commitment to girl-child entrepreneurship in a semi-urban community context stood out among over 2,000 entries nationwide.
Speaking after receiving her award, an elated Mrs. Olorunfemi dedicated the award to her learners and the WISE community.
“This award is not for me alone. It is for every child in WISE who wakes up to academic, science, environmental, community activities, feed fish before assembly, who writes a business plan with N10,000 capital, who believes that water can create wealth. It is for Wisdom International School of Excellence that gave me the platform to innovate. I am proud to be a teacher,” she said.
The Executive Director of Wisdom International School of Excellence, in a statement, described Mrs. Olorunfemi as a model of excellence, diligence and passion.
“We are not surprised. At WISE, excellence is a culture. Mrs. Cariyat Yusuf Olorunfemi represents what WISE stands for – innovative teaching, love for learners, and community impact. Her emergence as First Runner-up is a testament to our investment in teacher development and blue skills education,” the school management stated.
With this feat, WISE has solidified its reputation as a factory of best teachers in Nigeria. It will be recalled that last year, Ms. Serah Yusuf, also a teacher at WISE, won the overall Maltina Teacher of the Year 2025, taking home the grand prize. That back-to-back recognition places WISE as the only school in Nigeria to produce both a winner and a first runner-up in two consecutive editions of the competition. The Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund supported the school with a Digital Learning Centre commission in October 2026.
Mrs. Olorunfemi received a cash prize of N5 million.
As the school community in Sauka, Airport Road, Abuja erupted in celebration, parents and learners described Mrs. Olorunfemi as a mother, mentor and motivator who goes beyond the classroom to shape future entrepreneurs.
For Nigeria’s education sector, her success is a reminder that the best teachers are not only in the classroom – they are building the nation’s future, one learner, one skill, one business plan at a time.
