Abuja: Schools from Anambra State have achieved a historic feat, winning nine major awards, including the coveted ‘Overall Best School in Nigeria,’ at the 2025 President’s Schools Excellence Award in Abuja. The awards were presented during events marking World Teachers’ Day and have been hailed by state officials as a direct result of strategic government investment in the education sector.
According to Voice of Nigeria, the standout winner was Woliwo Primary School II in Onitsha, which was named the Overall Best School in the country and awarded a 16-seater bus as its star prize. The state’s impressive haul was spread across both public and private institutions, showcasing widespread excellence. Key awards included Pinkberry International School in Obosi as First Runner-Up for Best Approved Private Primary School in Nigeria, Emmanuel Ndibe from St. Theresa’s Secondary School in Enugwu Ukwu as First Runner-Up for Best Private Senior Secondary School Teacher, and Girls’ Secondary School in Ojoto as First Runner-Up for Best Public Junior Secondary School.
In a statement released on Monday, the wife of the Anambra State Governor, Nonye Soludo, described the achievement as ‘historic’ and ‘a phenomenal feat.’ ‘All of these great awards represent the fruits of our investments in Anambra’s education sector,’ Soludo stated. She highlighted the state’s unprecedented 2025 budget allocation to education as the foundation for this success, calling education ‘the backbone of our human capital masterplan.’
For her part, the State Commissioner for Education, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, credited Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s educational reforms. ‘The governor ended the era of schools without teachers through the immediate employment of educators upon assuming office,’ Prof. Chuma-Udeh said. ‘The free education policy and the establishment of smart schools have empowered Anambra State schools and repositioned them for greater exploits.’
Headteachers from the winning schools also expressed their gratitude. Francisca Odiegwu and Royaline Ikebuaso thanked the state government for ‘bringing back life to schools’ and vowed to continue providing ‘globally competitive education’ in line with the government’s vision.