I Wanted To Be A Medical Doctor, Says Nigeria’s Best Teacher

Dr. Mary Adebayo Oluwaseun is the winner of the Overall Best Teacher award for 2026 on the Federal Government’s President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards. In this interview with THE WHISTLER’s CHIKA MEFOR-NWACHUKWU , the 53-year-old mom of three and a trainer at Nawair-Ud-Deen Grammar School, Abeokuta, Ogun State, shares her inspiring journey from desirous to be a medical physician to changing into the nation’s finest trainer, and the way she now makes use of AI to make studying come alive.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A TEACHER?

I bought into educating in 1990 after I accomplished my Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme at Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta. But I began with non-public faculty. It was in 1999 that I joined the civil service; Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Ogun State.

MANY PEOPLE ARE RUNNING AWAY FROM TEACHING. What Made You DECIDE YOU WANTED TO BE A TEACHER?

I didn’t wish to turn into a trainer by will. I used to be additionally operating away from educating as many different had been operating. I didn’t even wish to be one as a result of my father occurred to be a trainer.

Since my major faculty days, I used to be serving to him to writing lesson notes as a result of he was utilizing it to show me to have good handwriting. Whether I preferred it or not, I have to sit down to assist him write his lesson notes.

My father taught in our neighborhood faculty. But the way in which lecturers had been handled whereas I used to be in major faculty, I didn’t prefer it. Sometimes, when my father had overwhelmed his college students in school as a result of they didn’t carry out properly, after we bought to the playground, they might abuse me. I’d be the one that will obtain the suggestions of my father’s remedy.

So I didn’t think about my kids passing by that stress once more. That was the primary purpose I didn’t wish to go into educating.

Apart from that, I like drugs. When I see medical doctors of their uniforms attending to lives in hospitals, I wish to be there. If you requested me in my secondary faculty days what I wished to do, I’d say drugs.

I tried a number of occasions to get admission. One of my sisters stated, as an alternative of sitting at residence, I ought to go to Teacher’s school. She stated when I’m performed, at the very least you have got one thing doing. With the little you get from educating, you’ll be able to sponsor your self to enter whichever course you need. So I took the recommendation and that was how I got here to Abeokuta for my NCE.

When I got here to Abeokuta, I joined Water Corporation. I used to be working with them. I gathered some cash to get the shape for admission.

I had already utilized for Science Laboratory Technology at FUNAAB. I didn’t know my admission letter had been despatched residence. My mom collected it. She didn’t open it. She simply saved it. By the time I bought again residence, the admission 12 months had already closed.

When I went again to Abeokuta, I went to Isale-Igbehin, that was the place we had University of Agriculture then. I went to examine the record on the board and noticed my identify. I attempted to see if I may nonetheless are available, however after I noticed the fee, N10,000. Who would give me N10,000? My pay at Water Corporation was N300 per 30 days. I simply needed to let it go.

And that was how I went for NCE.

It was after I bought into the college and began the coaching that I started to develop curiosity. The motto we’ve in my faculty then – “We will mould you to be able to build others and build nations.” The factor saved ringing in my thoughts. “You will mould me that I will be able to build a nation.”

Before I completed the three-year programme, I already had ardour for educating, particularly little kids. Then, trainer wage was N1,300 round 1996 after I completed. Some non-public faculties paid N2,000.

So, I went to personal faculty. I taught in about 5 – 6 non-public faculties earlier than I bought employment in authorities on July twenty third, 1999.

Since then, I’ve not regretted educating. I’ve been having fun with it. Working with the youngsters… whenever you begin with them, you’ll suppose they don’t know something, and inside two, three weeks or a month of working with them, you see the expansion. You see the distinction. That brings me pleasure.

WHAT IS THAT ONE MOMENT THAT MADE YOU PROUD TO BE A TEACHER?

Actually, at many closing dates, the facet I like most – I’m a science trainer. I like when someone is educating me and I can see what they’re educating come alive.

All glory to God, that honour goes to one in every of my lecturers. He is late now. Mr. Tilola, of blessed reminiscence. He was my Biology trainer.

When he was to show us titration, he was taking Biology and Chemistry collectively as a result of no person may take Chemistry. He stated all of the reagents within the lab, he was unsure of their contents once more as a result of all of the labels had been gone. So he would improvise and ensure we had been in a position to do titration.

He distributed work to us in teams. Some teams collected lime. We had been requested to get lime, squeeze it, sieve it and convey the juice to highschool. Some had been requested to search for wooden ash, dissolve it in water, sieve it and convey the water. We have hibiscus flower within the faculty.

He requested us to get loads of hibiscus flowers from across the faculty and from elites locally. We gathered the whole lot and took it to the lab. He stated we should always pour the hibiscus flower in water and start to pound. After pounding, we added water to get the fluid out. We used that answer as our methyl orange indicator. The lime was our acid, and the wooden ash water was our base.

He stated, put this one within the burette, put this one within the pipette. We titrated and we bought the proper finish level. I stated, wow. These are lecturers at work.