Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has announced plans to buy shares in Dangote Refinery’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) for outstanding female teachers in the state, extending the government’s teacher welfare programme beyond cash awards and salaries.
The initiative will target 10 female teachers from each high-performing public school identified under the scheme, with each selected teacher set to receive 10,000 shares. Outstanding retired female teachers will also be considered as beneficiaries.
Brandspur Politics reports that the programme is being developed in partnership with the Dangote Foundation and is intended to give female educators an opportunity to build personal assets through share ownership rather than relying solely on regular income.
AbdulRazaq announced the plan on Monday in Ilorin during Kwara’s 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration, where the state government also recognised teachers, head teachers, principals and schools for outstanding performance.
The governor said the initiative formed part of broader efforts to improve the welfare and economic prospects of teachers across the state. He particularly highlighted the need to create opportunities that could help women build financial assets and participate in investment.
The state government is expected to work out the arrangements for identifying eligible beneficiaries, including retired teachers. AbdulRazaq directed the Head of Service, Dr Olufunke Mercy Shittu, to determine how qualifying retired female teachers would be captured under the programme and establish the modalities for their inclusion.
The announcement came alongside the presentation of about N120 million in awards to teachers, school administrators and schools recognised for their performance.
The governor maintained that teachers remained central to Kwara’s development plans because of their role in shaping the quality of education and preparing the next generation. His administration, he said, would continue to prioritise their welfare while pursuing measures that extend beyond conventional salary-based support.
For the beneficiaries, the proposed share ownership represents a different form of recognition. Rather than a one-off reward, the initiative is designed to give selected female teachers an interest in an investment, potentially placing asset ownership alongside professional achievement in the state’s approach to rewarding educators.
